


A Dragons Word

by dmc2izBEstIngamE



Category: Bleach
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Humor, Organized Crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmc2izBEstIngamE/pseuds/dmc2izBEstIngamE
Summary: Caught in the middle of two separate wars, Ryuu has a lot on his plate. One took place right here on Earth. The other however took place somewhere Ryuu never thought possible. To top it all off, he has to survive school life which seems simple in comparison to everything else. He could always cut one of three things out of his life... But at the end of the day, a dragon was only as good as his word.
Kudos: 3





	1. One of Those Days

**Author's Note:**

> I want to start off by saying that I've only ever watched the Anime for Bleach. So most of the content in this fic is going to be based off of that. As for terms and names, I have no faith that I'd be able to spell them properly. So I copied important terms off of the Fandom Wiki. Along with names. At least that way I can't get yelled at for spelling mistakes... As for characters, I don't really like to tag them until they show up and have at least a fair bit of "screen" time to avoid baiting people. Or in other words, I don't tag them until I know for sure they'll stick around. So once I get further I'll add more. Though Ichigo should be a safe bet. I don't really know what else to say. Soooo. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

Sitting on a couch with my hands zip tied, I was beaten and bruised. Overall I was feeling pretty pissed off. Not about getting beat, I wasn't a sore loser. No. It was because I was late thanks to the people holding me hostage. Because of something my brother or one of our friends did, I had to pay the price for it. Like usual.

"Hey! Assholes! Is Ichirou on his way yet!? If he is, you might as well let me go now." One of the four people who jumped me walked over and slapped me.

"Shut it kid! Keep quiet or the next one'll hurt more!" Looking back up at my captor, I chuckled. It was difficult to take him serious with his scraggly hair.

"Come on Watabe, we both know how this'll end. Just let me go." Sending a death glare my way, he readied another slap. "Can I at least talk to your Captain, or is he out?" Hearing that, Watabe lowered his hand. "Don't tell me… Captain Masazumi doesn't even know about this. Does he?" Sneering, he backed off.

Outside the room we were in a commotion could be heard. Along with Watabe, the other three people in the room readied themselves. Knowing what was about to happen, I just smiled. About time he showed up. After sending someone flying through the door, Ichirou walked in. Cracking his knuckles he looked around the room. When our eyes met, he smirked.

"There you are Ryuu. Ya look like shit." Getting into his fighting stance, Ichirou got ready to finish off the last few people standing.

"Ha ha. Real funny. Now hurry up and get me outta this!" Raising my hands, I nodded towards my bindings.

Watabe was the first to rush my brother. Not wanting to be left out, the other three guys followed after him. Ducking under Watabe's punch, Ichirou shoulder bashed him and sent the lightweight my way. Crashing onto the small table in front of me, Watabe broke the thing from the force of his landing. Before he could get up, I stood up and stomped his lights out. That took care of one of them. With my job done, I sat back down to enjoy the show.

Continuing their assault, the three thugs didn't let the scrawny mans sacrifice go by in vain. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know who they were messing with. Out of the four of them, the only person I knew was Watabe. The other three were fresh faces. Newbies. Which meant they've never met the one and only Ichirou Bishop.

Sending a round house kick their way, Ichirou staggered all three guys. As fast as the wind, he rushed down the closest person to him. After a quick three hit combo, the thug was down. Hitting the next guy with a palm strike, he grabbed the guys legs before he could go flying back. Swinging him around, Ichirou slammed the thug into the last guy standing. And with that, the job was done.

"Holy shit man. You messed them up good. You're much more deserving of the name Ryuu then I am." Walking over to me, Ichirou took out his pocket knife. After he cut my binds I rubbed my wrists.

"It was nothing. You good Ryuu? Did they hurt you?" Standing up I stretched. What a morning, eh?

"Nah. Looks worse then it hurts." Remembering I had somewhere to be, I perked up. "Oh shit, that's right! I'm late! Catch ya later Ichirou!" Snatching my bag that got tossed around thanks to the fight, I shot out of the room. If I was lucky, I'd make it to school right as lunch ended.

* * *

Watching his younger brother bolt out of the room, Ichirou shook his head. Taking one last look around the room, he left soon after. Once outside the office building he pulled a phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open he punched in his desired number. Only after two rings, the person on the other end picked up.

"It's Ichirou. Ryuu's safe." Walking down the street Ichirou stuffed his free hand into his pocket. "Though I thought I told you to keep an eye on him for me? You knew Watabe was still sore after what happened." Truth be told, Ichirou was actually a little surprised Watabe was even able to remember what happened. Considering how drunk the guy was.

"Sorry boss! It won't happen again, I promise!" Stopping in his tracks, Ichirou sighed. "I'll even bring more guys! I swear!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ichirou had had enough.

"Alright I get it already! Just quit yer yelling! I can hear ya just fine dumbass!" Feeling his anger subside, Ichirou continued walking. "Anyway, have you heard back from Captain Yasutake yet Kozato?" All day Ichirou had been waiting for a call from him. When Watabe had called, he thought it was the Captain.

"N-no sir. I think he's still out doing collections." Scratching the back of his head, Ichirou let out another sigh. Today was turning out to be more work then he was looking forward to.

"Guess that means I have to take care of things by myself. Get back to work Kozato." Hearing a quick yes sir on the other end, Ichirou hung up. Dialing another number, he had one more call to make. He didn't waste anytime when they picked up. "Iori, it's Ichirou. I haven't heard from the Captain yet. I'm gonna move on that thing by myself."

"You sure about that Ichirou? Want me to tag along? I don't have anything better to do today." Shifting his stance, Ichirou thought on it.

"Sure. Why not. Meet me at the spot and we'll scout things out. See ya there." Having backup was never a bad idea. You never knew when things might go sideways. Hanging up, Ichirou flipped his phone closed and put it away. Straightening his suit, he got ready to go to work.

* * *

Running through the schoolyard I was going as fast as I could. Just as I thought, the final bell for lunch had rung. Not a soul was in sight. Ignoring the rules I zipped through the halls. Shooting up the stairs I nearly tripped on the final step. Catching myself before I could fall I continued my mad dash. Nearing the door that led to my class, I slowed down. Taking a moment to catch my breath I straightened my school uniform and hair. At the very least I'd make myself look some what decent. Walking up to the door I knocked twice. When the teacher open the door and saw me, she gasped.

"Hey Ms. Ochi, sorry I'm late. I uh… Got into an accident." I panicked. My mind raced to come up with an excuse. At the end of the day though it didn't matter what I said. I would've been judged either way. Just about everybody knew what my brother did. Which only led to rumors about me.

"Are you okay Mr. Bishop? Do you need to visit the nurses office? If not, take your seat. I'm about to give a lecture." Stepping into the classroom, I closed the door behind me. Walking over to my seat I noticed there was a new student in class. With how short she was, I had almost missed her. From her seat she shot me a glare. What was her problem? Finally reaching my desk I plopped down into my seat. Leaning forward I propped my head up with my hand. Still feeling eyes on me I looked around. What would you know. It was shorty still. With the way she was looking at me, I guess someone already told her about me. Oh well.

All day I did my best to not fall asleep in class. That was the last thing I needed. After the final bell I made my way outside. Yawning as I stretched, I was ready to go home. Tomorrow was a day off, so I could save my homework for tomorrow.

Walking through the streets of Karakura Town I took my time. That way I was able to take in the sights. Since we weren't all that far away from Tokyo, crime was still a thing here. Well. Crime is a thing wherever you go. So I guess, it's a little more intense then people would think. As I kept walking down the sidewalk I couldn't help but feel as though I was being followed. A quick look to my left confirmed my feeling. Trying to hide, but failing miserably, was Kozato. Great. Ichirou sent someone to babysit me.

"I can see you Kozato." With a yelp, he fell over. Shooting up he brushed himself off. "Don't you have anything better to do then follow me around?" Making his way over to me he put his sunglasses back on.

"Sorry Ryuu. I've got orders from your brother to make sure you stay safe." Just because I got jumped didn't mean I was weak. I may not be as strong as my brother, but I could still fight. The only reason I lost was because they snuck up on me. "If anything else were to happen to you today, I'd be in deep shit." Yeah yeah. It'd be a big problem for him.

Speaking of problems, one was heading right towards us. Watabe was walking towards us with Captain Masazumi in tow. Captain Masazumi was wearing his normal white suit with his slicked back hair. When he saw who was approaching us, Kozato raised his fists. Just in case this did end in a fight, I dropped my bag.

"Ryuu. Kozato. How nice to see you two." Yeah. How nice it is Captain. "I heard my boy Watabe here caused you some trouble today Ryuu. Heard you were late for school cuz of it." Stopping not that far away from us, I could see Watabe was nervous.

"Ryuu. I-i'm sorry for e-earlier. Can you, uh, f-forgive me?" Smirking, I crossed my arms and stood up straight. I was gonna have some fun with this.

"I dunno. You messed me up pretty bad. Not to mention I got an earful from the teacher when I finally showed up." Watabe's eyes widened. With how fast he was breathing, I thought he was gonna have a panic attack. Laughing, I dropped the act. "Man! You should see the look on your face right now! I'm just mess'in around. It's fine, I don't give a shit. Ichirou kicked all your asses so we're even." Letting out a sigh of relief, Watabe relaxed.

"That's all well and good, but we still have one more issue." Captain Masazumi put a hand on Watabe's shoulder. "How are you going to atone for making a fool out of the Nariakira Family?" And just like that, Watabe was tense again. Pulling a Tantō out of his jacket, Captain Masazumi handed it over to Watabe. "I think you know what to do." It was a good thing we weren't still next to the school. Or maybe not. Depending on which one of them you asked that was.

I wanted to speak out, but I knew better. Shakily, Watabe got down on his knees. Unsheathing the blade, he put his left hand down onto the cement. Clenching every finger but his pinky into a fist, he started breathing harder. After a few seconds of hesitation, he sliced the tip of his pinky finger off. When the deed was done he started screaming. Holding onto his hand, he tried to slow the blood flow. Kneeling down to pick up the Tantō, Captain Masazumi pat Watabe on the back.

"That a boy Watabe. That's how a real Yakuza pay for their mistakes." Glaring at the man, I did my best not to sneer. I knew that this was all just a show to him. A dig at Kozato and the rest of the Mitsuharu Family. "Now the next time you're about to do something, think of the consequences." Helping Watabe up, Captain Masazumi smirked at us. "We'll be going now you two. See you around." Picking my bag back up, I watched as they left. When they were far enough away, I looked at Kozato.

"Screw that guy." Kozato had a weird look on his face. One that actually made him look like a Yakuza. He didn't let that side of him show often. It… Wasn't something I liked to see.

"Yeah. We should go Ryuu. I'll make sure you get home safe." Instead of fighting it I let Kozato take me home. After what just went down, I didn't really want to be alone. Stepping around the blood, we made our way to my house. "You know Ryuu, your brother really cares about you. He feels bad every time you get caught up in our business." It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that.

"Yeah. I know. But at the same time I don't want him to see me as some weak kid that has to be protected. He joined you guys at 16 and I'm only a year younger then that." Just like him I could fight. I couldn't pull off any of the crazy moves he had, but that didn't mean I was weak.

"Well. Yeah. But that's because he got expelled." Even at school Ichirou couldn't help but start fights. He's mellowed out since then… Well. Somewhat.

"Well any day now the same could happen to me. I keep missing cuz of stupid shit like what happened today." Sooner or later, they were going to have enough of me missing. "I just hope that when that day happens, you guys'll have room for me in the Family." When that happens I'll have no where else left to go. Just like Ichirou, I'll have to sleep at the office as well.

"Don't think like that Ryuu. Besides, ya got me look'in after ya! I'm gonna be a Lieutenant someday. Just like your brother." Pointing at himself with his thumb, he grabbed onto his jacket with his other hand. I had a hard time believing that.

"Riiight. Let me know when that happens." Deflating, he took a hit to his ego. Slumping over he whined. Running to catch up, he perked back up quickly. That was one of the things I liked about Kozato. He didn't let anything keep him down for long. Somehow, he always found a way to bounce back.

"I will! Then you can buy me some chocolate as an apology gift when I do make Lieutenant!" Smiling, I was actually glad to have Kozato along. Normally the walk back home was a little lonely. Even if he wasn't the same age as me, I still saw him as a friend. In fact, I liked all the guys in the Mitsuharu Family. They were the closest things to friends I'd ever have. The closest thing to a real family too. When my time came to join the Mitsuharu Family for real, I'd show them that Ichirou wasn't the only strong one. I'd be just like him. If not better! They'd see.


	2. Free Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm re-watching Bleach so I don't make any continuity errors. And whew boy. I forgot how much stuff happened before Ichigo and Uryū had their face off. That's where I plan on shifting the focus away from the Yakuza stuff. Not that I'm going to get rid of it completely for those that like it, it just won't be as important for Ryuu's segments. Well. Seeing as how I'm outta stuff to say again, I'll shut up now. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

Sitting on top of a vantage point, Ichirou was watching a scene play out below him. It was the second day in a row he's done so. Men in suits were loading up a van with stuffed animals. Normally that wouldn't be a problem. But considering the men were from the Nariakira Family, something wasn't right. Standing not to far behind Ichirou was Iori. Him and Ichirou joined the Mitsuharu Family at about the same time and made fast friends.

"Anything interesting happen Ichirou?" Reaching into his suit's pocket Iori pulled out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. Lighting one up Iori stared at the scene below them. Ichirou sighed and stood up. Putting his hands in his pockets he turned to face Iori.

"Nope. Nothing. Should we just go down there? There's only eight of 'em." Taking a drag from his cigarette Iori put his free hand into his pocket.

"We could. You know as well as I do that using stuffed animals is an amateurs move. Just lemme finish this first." Nodding his head in response Ichirou looked back down at the rival Yakuza. "By the way. I heard Ryuu got kidnapped yesterday. What the fuck was that about?" Rubbing the back of his head Ichirou remembered the events that lead to Ryuu's kidnapping.

"Well. To be honest, I'm surprised the guy who nabbed him even remembered. He was pretty wasted that night. Anyway, me an Kozato were out drinking. We ran across Watabe and he got pretty punchy. When push came to shove, we knocked 'em on his ass. Thing is, he had his sisters birthday present in his pocket. Don't know what the dumbass was doing with it on 'em, but oh well. Basically, he wanted me to pay 'em back for the broken gift." Iori laughed after hearing the explanation.

"Ya kidding me? All that over a fuck'in birthday present?" Ichirou shook his head. He couldn't believe it himself. Suddenly Iori threw his cigarette down and ran over to the railing. "Ichirou! Look!" Rushing over to Iori's side, Ichirou saw what he was freaking out over. One of the guys had cut one of the stuffed animals open. Inside was a bag filled with a white substance that was most definitely not sugar.

"Alright Iori, let's go!" Running down the stairs Ichirou and Iori were going to put a stop to things. They were on the Mitsuharu Family's turf and that wasn't going to fly. Reaching the bottom of the construction site, the two of them approached the rival Yakuza. When they got close enough, Iori got their attention.

"Hey! What do you assholes think you're doing!" Whipping their heads to look at who was interrupting them, they looked less then pleased.

"Who the hell do you two thing you are? Do you have a death wish or something?" The one who spoke up was a bald, portly man. He had a mean looking scar near his eye. Not backing down from the threat, Ichirou stepped forward and crossed his arms.

"The names Ichirou Bishop. I'm a Lieutenant of the Mitsuharu Family. And this…" Ichirou gestured over to Iori. "Is Iori Sanraku. Another Lieutenant." Stepping up next to Ichirou, Iori tightened his fingerless gloves. "What are you doing in our territory?" Scoffing, the bald man looked back at his friends.

"I don't give a shit about yer rank. Not when you're outnumbered eight to two." Uncrossing his arms Ichirou got into his fighting stance. Iori followed his lead.

"Well Iori. Guess we gotta do this the hard way." As the two Lieutenant's rushed forward, the rival Yakuza members spread out. Some even went for weapons, picking up whatever they could find.

Making the first move Ichirou literally jumped into the fight. Jump kicking the bald man backwards he slammed him into one of his friends. Ducking under a pipe swung his way, Ichirou sent an uppercut his attackers way. The man went flying high and dropped his pipe.

Meanwhile, Iori was busy dealing with three of the other Yakuza. One of them had a knife out. Changing his stance to a defensive one, he let his attackers make the first move. All three decided to rush at once. When the one with the knife slashed at him Iori dodged backwards. With all three of them now bunched up, Iori spun and used a sweeping kick to knock all three down. Before he could move in to finish off the one with the knife, another Yakuza came flying his way. Looking over, Iori saw that Ichirou had kicked another one his way.

"Dude! Not cool!" Ichirou just smiled and gave him a quick thumbs up. Huffing, Iori got back to work. Trying to stand up, the Yakuza with the knife was sent straight back down from a punch by Iori. Backing up so he wouldn't be swarmed Iori scanned the area.

Back with Ichirou, he had already taken care of three of his opponents. The last one standing was the bald guy. He was a lot sturdier then his friends. Rushing him down with a flurry of hits the large Yakuza took them all without much effort. Finishing his combo off with a jumping spin kick, Ichirou at least got him to stumble.

"You're one tough bastard. Ya know that? You a new Lieutenant for the Nariakira Family?" Wiping his face, the large Yakuza laughed.

"A Lieutenant? No. The name's Takeuchi Satoru. And one day, I'll be the Captain of the Nariakira Family!" Pulling out a blade of his own Takeuchi slashed away at Ichirou. Not wanting to get cut, Ichirou had no choice but to back off. Before he knew it, Ichirou had his back against a wall.

"Ichirou! Heads up!" Looking up Ichirou saw Iori. He had cleaned up the last remaining Yakuza and made his way back up the building. He kicked a crate over the ledge and it fell onto Takeuchi.

"Ha! Nice go'in Iori!" Pushing off the wall Ichirou walked over to Takeuchi. Kicking the knife away from him, Ichirou squatted down next to him. "So, now that I have your attention, I'm gonna lay down the law." Jumping down, Iori landed nearby and joined in. "You're currently on our turf. Meaning you don't get to do "business" here. Understand?" Takeuchi groaned in pain. "Good." Standing up, Ichirou stretched. "Oh. One more thing. No slinging dope around here either. We don't do that shit here. Burn it or we'll send you into early retirement." Pocketing his hands, Ichirou got ready to leave.

"You two are leaving so soon?" But before Ichirou or Iori could go, someone else chose to show up. Turning to face whoever it was, Ichirou glared when he saw who it was.

"Kitagawa…" The man wore a black suit and a matching pair of leather gloves. His snake like appearance was more befitting of a real business man than a Yakuza. "I take it this little operation was your idea then?" Kitagawa smirked.

"I'm afraid not. That honor would go to Takeuchi here." Kitagawa motioned towards Takeuchi. "I was merely making sure that he didn't mess things up." Tightening his tie, Kitagawa's smirk seemed to grow. "Seeing as how he failed, punishment will await him when we return to base." Sneering at the man, Ichirou scoffed. Taking his hands out of his pockets, Ichirou got ready to fight.

"So. You wanna go too?" Waving him off Kitagawa walked over to the blade that Takeuchi lost. Picking it up, he hid it away.

"I'm afraid there's no time for that today. We can fight another day. Ichirou…" Turning back towards Iori, Ichirou gestured for them to leave. Just as he said, they would fight another day.

* * *

"Kozatoooo. I'm booored." Reclining on the couch, I was at the office with Kozato. "Hey. Kozato. Did you hear me? I said I'm bored." Everyone other then Kozato was out though. They were all out doing important stuff. "Hey! Kozato!" Having enough of being ignored I sat up. Kozato was busy reading from one of his manga's. Walking over I snatched it from his hands. "Don't you ignore me you ass!" Looking at what he was reading, I was surprised.

"Hey be careful! Do you have any idea of how much that cost me!" Shooting up he tried to take his manga back.

"I just wanna take a look!" The manga he was reading was apparently about some top chef in Japan. "And from the looks of it, it's pretty lame." Taking his manga back he clutched it close to his chest.

"It's not lame! It's… It's… Inspiring!" Confused, I gave Kozato a weird look. "Even when the going gets tough and it looks like she's going to lose, Saori-Chan always finds a way to persevere!" What in the actual hell was he going on about? "You could learn a thing or two from her Ryuu!" Scoffing I waved him off.

"I think I'll pass." Walking over to the door I grabbed my coat on the way. "I'm gonna go walk around town. I'll give you and… Saori-Chan… Some space. See ya." Without turning around I waved goodbye.

Outside the Mitsuharu Family office I yawned. All that boredom was making me tired. Maybe I'd stop by the arcade. There was a new machine called Immortal Blade and I wanted to check it out. Reaching into my pocket I check how much yen I had before setting out. Happy with the amount, I set off.

Along the way I stumbled across an accident. It looked like some girl with orange hair got hit by a car. Two people ran to her aid. For some reason, all three people looked familiar. That's when I recognized them. Well, the short one at least. She was the new student that glared at me all day. So that meant all three of them were in my class. But what was the orange haired girls name? It was… Orange something? No. It was Orihime! That's right. And the guy was Ichigo. His name was easy to remember because it sounded like my brothers name. Just because I wasn't friends with anyone in class didn't mean I couldn't remember their names. Seeing as how Orihime was alright, I didn't have any reason to linger any longer.

Other than the accident, not much else happened on my way to the arcade. For the most part, Karakura Town was a pretty boring place. Not much happened. Well actually, there was that terrorist attack a few days ago. Sooo. Yeah. Entering the arcade I traded my yen in for game tokens. Scanning the arcade I looked for the Immortal Blade machine. That's when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey Ryuu, is that you?" Turning around I saw that it was Igarashi. He was closer to my age than any of the other guys in the Mitsuharu Family. And unlike them, he didn't wear a suit. Instead, he wore a plain sweatshirt and jeans. It helped him blend in more. Other than my brother, I considered him and Kozato my closest friends. "Shit man, it is you! How's it been? Heard you got jumped yesterday." Laughing I walked up to him and jabbed him the shoulder.

"Hey Iga. Long time no see. And yeah, I got jumped. Couldn't ya tell by my face?" I pointed at all the bruises on my face. "Hey, since you're here, wanna play a few rounds of Exblaze?" Grinning, Igarashi gave a thumbs up.

"You're on! I still gotta even things out from last time we played!" Giving him a high five we ran over to the machine. After popping a few tokens in the machine we chose our characters and fought. For most of the day we played Exblaze. It was a constant back and forth battle. I would win a game and Igarashi would win the next one. By the time we were done playing, the sun had set.

"Looks like I'm still in the lead Iga. Better luck next time." Putting on a smile I gave him a thumbs up.

"Guess that means we gotta play again then." Crossing his arms Igarashi smiled as well. It was nice getting to hang out with him again. Captain Yasutake had sent him on a scouting mission a week ago. So we haven't been able to hang out since.

"Yeah. Ah shit. Just remembered the whole point I stopped by was to check out that new machine. Now I'm all outta tokens. Oh well. I'll come back next week." Igarashi uncrossed his arms and laughed. Leaving the arcade with Igarashi I was surprised when we bumped into a certain someone. Speak of the devil.

"Ryuu. Igarashi. What a pleasant surprise." Towering over us was Captain Yasutake. He was wearing his midnight blue suit. Like the Captain in the Nariakira Family, he had his hair slicked back. "It's nice to see you two." He gave a gentle smile.

"Captain Yasutake, it's nice to see you too." It was a little weird to see him out this way. The Mitsuharu Family didn't own the arcade or any other buildings out this way. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out this way?" It was a little risky for me to ask, but I was curious. Since I wasn't officially a member of the Family, I doubted that he'd tell the truth.

"I was just taking a stroll. I got back from a trip out to Tokyo and wanted to relax. You wouldn't believe how busy they are there compared to Karakura Town." I could believe that. "Why don't you two join me? I'd enjoy both of your company." Nodding our heads, Igarashi and me followed the Captain around. "Ryuu, how is Ichirou doing? I was supposed to be helping him with something, but I forgot to tell him of my meeting in Tokyo." Shrugging, I didn't know what to tell him. Ichirou tended to keep me out of the loop when it came to "work".

"He's fine. So is everyone else. I got jumped yesterday but Ichirou saved me. The situation was taken care of so don't worry about it." Captain Yasutake had a stern look on his face and nodded in understanding. "Oh! I don't know if you were around for it, but there was a terrorist attack a few days ago as well. The police haven't caught anyone yet, so maybe you guys could investigate yourselves."

"A terrorist attack you say? That could be a problem… I'll have some guys look into it. We can't have a terrorist running loose in our town, now can we?" That right there is why I looked up to the guys in the Mitsuharu Family. They actually cared about this place and the people in it. They weren't saints of course, but they took care of people around here.

Putting his hand out, Captain Yasutake stopped me. Igarashi stopped as well. I was surprised at first, but then I looked in front of us. There was a weird look'in guy not to far away. He was wearing a cloak and mumbling to himself. It had to be a drug addict. I was gonna yell at him, but then he pulled something out of his cloak. A gun.

"For the Naizen Clan!" Gunshots rang out and I felt something hit my chest. Falling to the ground I clutched where I had been hit. Slowly, I felt my eyelids close. Then I shot up and gasped. Standing up I clutched at where I had been shot. The only problem was, I hadn't. Though there was a weird chain dangling from my chest.

"Ryuu! Ryuu are you alright!?" Looking over at Igarashi I went to tell him I was fine. But that's when I saw it. My body. But how? How was that even possible!? The chain coming from my chest was also connected to my body. What the hell was going on!? Is this even real!?

"Igarashi, what's going on!" Instead of answering me he got his phone out. "Hey man, answer me! What the fucks going on!?" Panicking, I didn't know what to do! Pulling on the chain connected to my chest only resulted in an intense pain. I wasn't going to try that again.

"I need an ambulance, my friend, he's been shot!" The only thing I could think of was laying down and matching my body's pose. Trying to get back into my body, I laid down the exact same way my body was positioned. Sitting there for awhile I waited for it to work. After a few seconds I tried getting up again only to be met with failure. Nothing I did worked. This can't be real, this can't be happening! I… I'm… I'm dead!

* * *

"Fucking Kitagawa. I shoulda beat his ass back there." Still angry about his encounter with Kitagawa, Ichirou was venting to Iori.

"Ya know we stood no chance right? He woulda kicked both our asses. Even if we fought him at the same time." Not happy to hear that Ichirou scowled.

"Yeah I know. I still remember the last time we challenged him." That was three years ago. When they were still just Soldiers in the Mitsuharu Family. For someone who looked so frail, he was able to beat both Ichirou and Iori with no problem.

"I'm surprised he isn't their Captain. With his skills, he'd have no problem qualifying. Not to mention all he does for them." Flicking his cigarette down, Iori stomped it out. Stopping, Ichirou sighed and threw his hands up behind his head.

"Well. I'm gonna call it a day. We've got mo-" Ichirou's phone went off and interrupted him. Digging into his pocket he pulled it out. Flipping it open, he answered the call. "Yo, wha-" Normally he'd reprimand someone who interrupted him. But this time it was different. "What! Alright I'm on my way!" In a panic he put flipped his phone close and put it away as fast as he could. "I've gotta go, Ryuu was shot!" Iori gasped as Ichirou ran off. Not wanting to get left behind Iori ran after his friend.

"Hey wait a minute, what do you mean shot! Ichirou! Wait for me!" Together, the two friends ran to the Karakura Hospital. All the while Ichirou couldn't help but think the worst. It looked like he wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight.


	3. Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got nothing this time. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

It was a battle to open my eyes. My eyelids felt as though they were weighted. When I was finally able to open my eyes I saw that I was an a hospital room. Sitting asleep in one of the chairs was my brother. Slowly moving my hand over to my chest I felt for that weird chain. It was gone. Or, maybe it was never there in the first place. Was that whole thing just a near death experience? If that was the case, I never wanted to experience that again. In trying to sit myself up I made a lot of noise. Enough so that Ichirou woke up. Seeing me awake, he rushed over to my side.

"Ryuu, you're alright." He had a smile on his face. "Do you remember what happened? You were shot… Thankfully the bullets went right through. So the doctors didn't have to remove them." Reaching down he grabbed my hand. "Though it's the strangest thing. You healed so quickly, and so well, it almost looks like you were never hurt in the first place… Before you get checked out, they want to take a blood sample." That would explain the lack of IV's. But that's not what was important right now.

"Ichirou… The person who shot me…" What I had to tell him was important. "Before they shot me, they yelled… For the Naizen Clan…" Ichirou's face grew grim. He knew just as well as I did what that meant.

"Are you sure?" I nodded my head. Igarashi and Captain Yasutake could back me up. "If you're certain, then this bad. Real bad. You might have to leave Karakura for awhile." Like hell I was gonna do that. He puts his life on the line everyday, I wasn't going to run at the first sign of danger.

"Fuck that. I think it's time I get sworn in. If there's gonna be a war because of what happened to me, I might as well be a part of it." Backing off, Ichirou sighed. He ran a hand through his hair.

"You've gotta focus on school Ryuu. That's what mom woulda wanted." The only reason I was still going to school was because of her. "Besides. You wouldn't be able to run collections while at school." That… Was true.

"You know the Patriarch would be fine with me go'in to school. Hell. I practically spend all my free time at the office anyways." Oshiro Mitsuharu was like a father to me. I'm pretty sure Ichirou felt the same way.

"If you're sure about joining, then I won't stop you. But just know that dad's gonna throw you outta the house just like he did me." Aidyn was beyond pissed when he learned Ichirou joined a Yakuza Family. There's no telling what he'll say when I tell him I'm doing the same.

"Fuck Aidyn. The quicker I can get away from the bastard the better." Stretching as I sat up, I felt… Weird. Something about me just felt different. "Now, can ya toss me my clothes and get out? We've got a few stops to make today." Ichirou walked over to the bag holding my clothes. After tossing them my way he left the room. Once I changed back into my clothes we checked out and I got my blood drawn. On the way out Ichirou nudged me.

"Some of the guys tried to stop by while you were asleep. Hospital wouldn't let 'em stay for long though since they weren't family. Iga, Iori and Kozato will be glad to see you're okay." Igarashi was the one to call the ambulance. If my near death experience was anything to go off of. It could have as well been the Captain. As we were walking to the office, a sudden screeching sound pierced the air. It was so bad I tried to cover my ears. "Hey Ryuu, are you alright? Do we need to go back?" When it stopped I lowered my arms.

"You didn't hear that?" Ichirou shook his head no. Looking around I tried to see if I could find the source. Was it a train? Car? It almost sounded like someone slamming on their brakes. "It was loud, like really loud. How didn't you hear that?" Shrugging, Ichirou started walking again.

"Whatever you say. Weirdo." Not wanting to get left behind I picked up the pace. Throughout the walk I kept hearing that stupid noise. Each time it happened I had to cover my ears. When it finally stopped I couldn't be happier.

Finally reaching the Mitsuharu Family office I was feeling nervous. Before, I was going to wait till after I graduated to join. But seeing as how there was a war on the horizon I didn't want to just sit back. Hell. I already get dragged into shit all the time. Going all the way up to the third floor, Ichirou and I were met with quite the welcome.

"Kuwahara you dumbass!" One of the Lieutenants, Yamaoka, was yelling at Kuwahara. "How the fuck did you let some snot nosed brat swindle you!?" Kuwahara was on his hands and knees trying to apologize.

"I'm sorry Yamaoka! Really! It's just… It was an offer I couldn't pass up!" I had a feeling I knew what this was all about. "The kid said whoever turned the ticket in would win an entire candy factory!" Yup. It was candy.

"Moron! That kinda shit only happens in fantasy!" Face palming, Yamaoka turned away from Kuwahara and faced us. "Oh. Hey Ichirou, Ryuu. Wait, Ryuu! What are you doing outta the hospital!?" As if he forgot what happened just moments ago, Kuwahara shot up from off the ground.

"Ryuu you're okay! But like the Lieutenant said, what are you doing out of the hospital so soon?" Lifting up my shirt I pointed at where the scars from the bullets should have been.

"It was a medical miracle. Doctors had me donate blood as well." Letting my shirt drop back down I walked over to the couch. "By the way, is the Patriarch in? I wanted to talk to 'em." Sitting down I propped my feet up on the table.

"Wait a second, we're not just gonna gloss over the fact that you healed so quickly from gunshots." Rushing over to my side, Yamaoka looked me over. "Holy shit. Not just that, but your bruising is gone as well. Didn't you get jumped two days ago?" Jumped one day, shot the next. This town sure is boring. Isn't it?

"Is it? I haven't looked in a mirror since I woke up." I touched my face after he pointed it out. Not like I was going to be able to tell by touch. Just then Captain Yasutake stepped out of the Patriarch's room. He looked less then pleased.

"What is all the racket about! Huh? Ryuu?" His tone shifted when he saw me. That was gonna happen all day. Wasn't it?

"Captain! Ryuu's really a Demon in disguise! It's the only explanation!" Kuwahara rushed over to the Captains side. "No normal human can recover that fast!" What the hell?

"Hey! I'm not a Demon! Just because I can heal fast doesn't mean shit!" Standing up I pointed at him. "You'll need more then that to convince people I'm a Demon!" Stepping out from behind the Captain was Patriarch Mitsuharu. Him and the Captain must have been in a meeting.

"Everyone shut up! All this shouting is giving me a headache." Everyone in the room gave a quick sorry sir. "Ryuu, my boy, I'm glad to see that you're okay." Oshiro Mitsuharu was a middle aged man pushing 50. Even though he didn't have to, he wore a suit like almost everyone else. Helped with image he said.

"Thank you sir." I gave a quick bow of respect. "If you'll excuse me sir, I came today to talk to you about something important." This was the moment. Building up my courage, I looked Oshiro in the eyes. "Patriarch Mitsuharu… I'd like to join the Mitsuharu Family." Oshiro crossed his arms but didn't say anything. "I'm sure Captain Yasutake told you about what happened. If there's going to be a war because of what happened to me, then I wanna be a part of it." Having other people fight for me felt wrong.

"Are you certain of this? Just because our Family is still a young one, and we do things differently than most, doesn't mean you'll be free of all responsibility." I nodded my head yes. I was certain. "If that's the case, then I'll prepare the ceremony for tonight. Come back in a few hours and everything will be ready." Ichirou pat me on the shoulder. Together the two of us left the office.

"What are you gonna do till everything's ready Ryuu?" As much as I didn't want to, there was something I had to do now. Looking at the orange sky I sighed.

"Well. Before anything, I have to go tell Aidyn. He's not gonna like it, but he'll call the cops if I just disappear." It wouldn't take them long to find me either. "Not only that, but I gotta get my stuff for school. Otherwise I'm never getting that shit back." For awhile we just watched as the sun set farther and farther.

"Well. I don't envy you. Dad's probably gonna be pissed as it is when you get home. Ya know. Since you got shot." Shit. That's right. Of course he'd be told about that. "If you're still alive, I'll see ya at the initiation." And with that, Ichirou went back into the office. Leaving me alone. Guess that meant I really had to go face Aidyn. My dad. This wasn't going to be easy.

The walk home was lonely and tense. All the way there I felt anxious. It was weird to think that it would be my last walk home as well. Though that part I could deal with. Nothing me or my brother did was ever good enough for him. That, and he was drunk off his ass whenever he didn't have work.

Reaching the door to my house I reached out for the doorknob one last time. I stood there for a few seconds. It was like my body refused to move. After taking a deep breath I opened the door and it opened slowly. Walking in, I half expected to get yelled at. But there was nothing. Seeing as how my room was right next to the entrance I decided to gather my stuff first. When I collected my uniform and bag I went to look for Aidyn. Wouldn't you know it, he was in the living room watching TV.

"Hey dad." He took a glance back at me but didn't say anything. No, _How are you?,_ or, _Are you okay?,_ just silence. Walking a little closer, I thought on what I was gonna say. "Dad. Something happened… And…" The words got caught in my throat. "I'm joining the Mitsuharu Family." Aidyn didn't bother turning around.

"Is that it then? You're going to go against me as well?" He took a long sip from his beer. When he was done, he slammed it on the end table next to him. "What did I do wrong!? Huh!?" Standing up he turned to face me. "I gave you everything! Everything! And how do you pay me back!? By growing up to be a failure! Just like your brother! I never should have kept letting you see him!" Flipping the end table over he walked up to me. "If you wish to grow up like that then go ahead! Get out! Leave and don't come back!" I was tempted to hit him, to let my frustration out, but I just wanted this over with.

Doing as he said I turned and left. All the while he kept yelling. To the best of my abilities, I tuned him out. I was done with him and that's all that mattered. Because of how long it took me to walk to Aidyn's, it was dark out now. The sun had finally set. Now I just needed to find something to do until I could go back to the office.

While strolling through Karakura Town looking for something to do, I couldn't help but feel a strange presence watching me. Looking behind me, I saw nothing. That's when something landed in front of me. Falling backwards, I was shocked to see a giant masked monster looming over me. In the process of falling I dropped my things.

 **"So. You're what I had smelt.** " It could speak? " **You give off a strange odor for a human.** " And it was rude as well. " **No matter. I'll enjoy eating you either way. Now die!** " My brain shut down and the next few moments felt as if my body was on auto-pilot. Rolling out of the way of the things attack I shot to my feet. Then, I shot off in the opposite direction of whatever that thing was. Sprinting down alley's I tried to lose it. That didn't work however because the fucking thing could teleport! Jumping back to avoid another attack I fell on my ass once more.

" _Hey! Human! If ya don't wanna die, I suggest you summon me! Like, now!_ " Looking around for the voice that called out to me, I couldn't see who it was. Was this all some prank? " _This isn't a prank, now hurry up!_ " The fuck? " _Fine, if you won't do it, I'll just make myself appear!_ " The next thing I knew, there was a sword in my hand. It was a simple Katana with a dragon relief on it's sheath and an oval shaped guard. " _Now make this guy bugger off already!_ " Still shocked from what was happening I let myself go through the motions.

Standing up, I wielded the sword as best as I could. With a scream, I charged the monster. Slashing down I managed to sever one of it's limbs. Oddly enough, the thing didn't bleed. The creature roared out in pain and backed up. That's good. This is good. I can do this. Rushing in for another slash I managed to take off it's leg. As it fell I went for the killing blow. When it died, it evaporated in a black cloud. Er. Mist. Whatever.

" _That's how it's done! Nice go'in kid!_ " Holding the sword that appeared out of nowhere with both hands, I looked it over. " _Ya know, a little thanks wouldn't kill ya._ " Wait. Is…

"Are you the one talking to me?" That wasn't possible. Swords didn't talk. But I guess that thing I fought shouldn't exist either.

" _Who else would be talk'in to ya? Of course I am! Now thank me for saving yer ass!_ " This has got to be a dream. " _It's no dream kiddie. Sorry._ " Great it can read minds too… " _Yup. So think twice before hav'in any dirty thoughts._ " Sheathing the sword I went back to get my stuff.

"Thanks… I guess…" Was I really going along with this? I mean, really?

" _Finally! And you're welcome._ " This… Was going to take some getting used to. Reaching my stuff I gathered everything back up. But I also noticed that the sword had disappeared. " _I know you've got some important stuff ta get to, but you and I need ta have a chat kid._ " Yeah. Sure. Just gonna have a conversation with a magical sword. Was I still lying in the hospital bed? " _Nope!_ " Well that answers that. Just what the hell was going on?

* * *

"You're certain that's what was said?" Oshiro Mitsuharu was in a meeting with Captain Yasutake, Igarashi and Ichirou. They were all sitting in Oshiro's office.

"Yes sir. Igarashi was with us when it happened." Stroking his beard, Oshiro was deep in thought. "While Igarashi stayed with Ryuu, I gave chase to the gunman. Needless to say, he won't be pulling a stunt like that again." If this really was an attack from the Naizen Clan, then that would mean the Ryunosuke Clan would have to respond.

"Even if this was the doing of the Naizen Clan, there's no guarantee that it was the Nariakira Family." Standing up, the Oshiro went over to the window in his office. "Ichirou. I want you to investigate this matter further. Find out who was behind this attack." Standing up, Ichirou bowed.

"I'll get to the bottom of things sir." With that, the meeting was finished. Everyone in the room left the Patriarch's room. Once outside, they were met with the rest of the Family and Ryuu.

"Ryuu. Just in time. Shintani, Ichirou, Igarashi and I all just finished our meeting." Putting his stuff on the nearby table, Ryuu smiled. "If you don't mind, how about we get straight to the ceremony?" Even though he was smiling, Ichirou could sense that something was off about his brother. He'd have to ask Ryuu about it later.

"I don't mind sir." Without having to be told, Yamaoka brought out the bowls that were going to be used. Instead of using regular sake, Oshiro poured non-alcoholic sake into both bowls. If Ryuu had been a few years older he would have used the regular stuff. Oshiro and Ryuu each took their bowl. After nodding, they performed the ceremony. When everything was said and done everyone in the room cheered. The rest of the night the Mitsuharu Family held a party and celebrated Ryuu joining. Meanwhile on the outside, a set of cat eyes had watched the whole thing.


	4. Seeing Double

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a HUGE mistake last chapter. Soon as I realized it I went to fix it. Sooo yeah. On the bright side, the chapter is a little longer. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

"Yo Ryuu. Get yer ass up." Rolling over onto my side I groaned. "C'mon man. If you don't hurry up yer gonna be late." Against my better judgment, I opened my eyes. Looking at who it was disturbing me, I saw that it was Igarashi. "Ichirou stepped out a bit ago and told me to wake you up." Of course he did. The asshole. With a yawn I got up. My stuff was still on the table from last night. Grabbing my uniform and bag I went to the bathroom to change. When I was all suited up I stepped out.

"Guess I'm off then. When I get back, you can show me the ropes Iga." Waving goodbye I set out for school. Thankfully the walk to school was a non-eventful one. I didn't get jumped. I didn't get shot. And I didn't get attacked by some freakishly over sized monster. Overall, it was a good morning.

" _So do all kids act so paranoid, or is it just you?_ " And then there was that. " _Don't pretend I'm not here!_ " He was as persistent as ever.

"Can you shut up for five seconds?" Whatever it was, it didn't have a name. I tried asking it but it's either lying to me or really doesn't have a name. Wait a minute… Could it really be a…

" _I'm no Demon ya ass! I'm a sword! And no. I will not shut up._ " Oh. Wonderful. " _Hey_ _look, the school! Whatdya think we're gonna learn today?_ " It hasn't even be a full day yet and I've already had it.

"Seriously just shut up already!" The sword started snickering. "What? What's so funny?" Maybe I could just summon him and toss him in a dumpster somewhere.

" _Take a look around ya._ " That's when I noticed it. I… Wasn't alone. Other students were arriving to school at the same time as me. Which meant they witnessed me yelling at someone to shut up that wasn't there. " _Why'd ya stop? I think they were enjoying the show._ " For the love of… Was it possible to strangle a sword to death? " _No. It's not._ " I wasn't asking you!

Morning classes were a slog. They seemed to drag on forever. By the time 3rd Period came around however, the new girl walked in. She pulled a me and came in late. Apparently her name was Rukia. What threw me off is when she slugged Ichigo in the gut and dragged him off. Should I report this to someone? Nahhh. It was probably nothing.

When lunch finally came around I decided to look through the phone that Patriarch Mitsuharu gave me last night. He said it'd help everyone stay in contact. Flipping it open I went through the contact list. Sure enough, everyone was there. All the way from Oshiro to people like Kozato. My attention was pulled away from my phone when I heard some of the other students yell. What was causing everyone to yell you might ask? Well. Fucking Ichigo jumped up to the goddamn window!

Somehow, he managed to leap up from the fucking courtyard and land all the way up here on the third floor! Then, completely glossing over that fact, he starts hitting on Orihime and her friend Tatsuki. Flipping out over a peck to the cheek, she started raising hell. Seeing as how I was in the back of the class I threw my feet up on my desk and watched. Everyone ran to the back of the room by me to get away from the carnage. Soon enough someone opened the door. Instead of being a teacher, it turned out to be Rukia.

"That's enough! You…" She stood there staring him down. Did she have a hand in this? I mean, she did drag Ichigo off and everything. That's when Ichigo took off for the window. "He's coming, Ichigo!" Wait. What?

"Rodger!" That's when a second Ichigo jumped through the window. What in the actual hell was going on! "Come on, nowhere to run." Both Ichigo's just stood there. My brain was frying trying to grasp just what was happening. With nowhere left to go, the Ichigo in his school uniform started to fight the black robed Ichigo. "You.. I mean, me… Why?" For a second the robed Ichigo seemed to have control of the situation. And then lost it and got his ass kicked. When the uniformed Ichigo kicked the robed Ichigo one last time I stood up.

"No no no! Hey, wait!" That bastard aimed himself, er, the other Ichigo right at me! In the end I wasn't fast enough. Both me and the robed Ichigo slammed into the wall. And boy, that hurt like a bitch. All this chaos was starting to piss me off! It didn't help that the magical sword that wouldn't shut up was laughing at my misery. Ichigo and other Ichigo leapt back out through the window and Rukia gave chase.

"Are you okay?" Standing over me was a giant. His name was Yasutora Sado, but everyone just called him Chad. He was extending his hand towards me. Accepting his offer, he pulled me up to my feet.

"It was nothing. I've had worse." The pain I felt didn't last long. Okay. It was official. I was going to have my own talk with that talking sword. During our last talk, he didn't explain much.

After the Ichigo incident, not much happened at school. The rest of the day was as normal as could be. Was it normal to be thankful for something like that? When the final bell rang I was one of the first people to leave. Instead of going to the Family office right away, I looked for some back alley or something. Somewhere no one could spy on me. Finding the right place, I summoned the sword… Thing…

"Alright. I've got some questions for you. And this time, _I don't know_ , isn't gonna cut it." Leaning him against a nearby dumpster, I crossed my arms and backed up. "My first questions is what was up with the whole two Ichigo thing? Which one was the real Ichigo?" They both looked the same, but they acted like completely different people.

" _Let's see… The simple answer is that both were Ichigo. One was his body, while the other was his soul. At least that's what it felt like._ " Okay, that makes… Sense? " _As for what happened… I don't know!_ " Of course he didn't.

"You can't just keep saying that!" Every time he said that, I felt like he was purposefully hiding stuff from me.

" _Well_ _excuse me_ _kid!_ _I'd like to_ _see how good your memory is after sleeping for a couple centuries!"_ Just what exactly was I messing with?

"If you really don't know, then you probably wouldn't have an answer for my second question." This turned out to be a waste of my time. Nice. "Alright. If you're gonna hang around, you need a name." At the very least, I could find a name for my annoying self proclaimed friend. Calling him sword was stupid. He needed a name.

" _I'm all ears kid. If ya got one, then say it!"_ Putting a hand up to my chin I thought on it. What to name an ancient sword that could appear at will? Snapping my fingers, the perfect name popped into my head!

"I've got it! Danny!" Asshole would have been more fitting, but Danny would have to do. It could also be shortened to Dan as well.

" _Danny? I was expect'in something more badass. But yer the boss. Sadly._ " Ignoring Danny's remark, I picked him up and sent him back to… Wherever he went when I didn't have him summoned. " _Don't panic now kid, but we're be'in watched._ " Great. If it wasn't one problem, it was another. " _Why don't we head back to tha Family office, eh? They'_ _d be stupid to_ _follow us in there._ " Danny was right. Not looking over my shoulder, I let Danny be my eyes on the back of my head. He could sense things that I couldn't. If it was another one of those Hollow things Danny told me about, I had to be ready for a fight.

* * *

Walking side by side, Ichirou and Iori were tailing a member of the Nariakira Family. Iori recognized the person they were following from their last battle. In order to avoid suspicion, they weaved in and out of the crowd. Once they got close to the guy they grabbed onto him. The van that had been following as well pulled up next them. Ichirou and Iori pulled the Nariakira guy into the van and they drove off.

"What the fuck! Who th-" Before he could finish, the victim realized just who had kidnapped him. "Ohhh. Ohhh shit. Fuck!" Holding a gun, another member of the Mitsuharu Family was pointing it their victims way. Ichirou and Iori tied up the Nariakira member when he stopped resisting. He seemed to know the trouble he was in. When they were done, Ichirou looked at the Mitsuharu member with the gun.

"Umemoto, keep that thing trained on our guest here." They rode the rest of the way in silence. Since they weren't stupid, they didn't pick a location they had owned. Instead, they drove to an abandoned hospital. Once they had arrived, Ichirou led the Nariakira member inside. Meanwhile Iori and Umemoto gathered supplies. The driver, Kozato, got out to help them.

Ichirou led the Nariakira member to the basement of the hospital. Reaching the room where they use to keep dead bodies Ichirou sat the Nariakira member on the chair. Not far behind him was Umemoto with rope. After tying him up, Ichirou backed off a little and crossed his arms.

"Alright. First things first. What's your name?" The hostage didn't say anything. Ichirou bent down to their hostages eye level. "We can be civil about this, or we can get the blowtorch out. Either way works for me." As Ichirou said this, Kozato and Iori walked in with an assortment of tools.

"I-I'm Fujimura Katsuyoshi." Ichirou stood back up with a smile on his face.

"That wasn't so hard. Was it?" Setting their equipment out Iori sat back. Lighting up a cigarette, he let Ichirou lead this one. Considering it was Ichirou's brother that was hurt, Iori had a feeling this wasn't going to be pretty. "Now for the important question. Who was that gunman? Why did you target my brother?" Fujimura shook in his bindings.

"I don't know." Not liking the answer Ichirou hit him. "I don't know!" Sneering, Ichirou had to think of a different approach.

"Then who does!? Remember, it's up to you how we do things." Ichirou technically didn't have to do this as they were about to go to war. Whoever was responsible would get there's either way. But he wanted to be the one to punish the bastard.

"I can't tell you. They'd kill me!" Ichirou punched Fujimura in the gut.

"I'll kill you if you don't! So you better pick who you want to kill you! Trust me when I say that I'll make it a whole hell off a lot worse then they will!" In all honesty, Ichirou wasn't sure what would happen to the guy if someone found out that he spoke. He couldn't guarantee who would make his death more painful.

"You don't understand! If I speak… They'll… They'll…" Fujimura froze up. Instead of continuing he chose to clam up. Ichirou didn't have the patience for this. Walking over to the portable CD player Ichirou hit play. Loud metal music started to blare. As an extra precaution, Umemoto put a gag on Fujimura. Knowing what was about to go down, Fujimura started to panic.

"Looks like we have no other choice…" Looking over his options, Ichirou went over each one of the tools. He decided on a simple start. Picking up a wrench he played with it's weight. "Kozato! Umemoto! Go stand guard! Don't let anyone in!" Ichirou had to yell over the music. Both Kozato and Umemoto gave a nod and went to go stand guard. Things were about to get messy.

* * *

Entering the Family office I tossed my bag onto the couch. No one was in at the moment. Everyone must have been off doing their own things for the day. At the very least, I expected Kozato to be here. Speaking of Kozato, he left one of his manga's on the table. Picking it up I flipped through a few pages.

" _Your friend has really weird taste_ _in reading material_ _._ " That he did. For me it was kaiju or bust. As I put Kozato's manga back down I heard the door open. The one to walk in was Igarashi.

"Yo Ryuu. Figured you'd be here." That wasn't really difficult to guess. There really wasn't anywhere else for me to go. "So, now that you're done with school for the day, how 'bout I show you the ropes?" Finally. I'd be able to actually help around here.

"Sounds good to me, what's first?" A war with the Naizen Clan was on the horizon. If I was going to be of any use, I needed to know what to do. Our rivalry with the Nariakira Family was about to become much more.

"The first thing I need to do is show you around town. Show you which areas we control, and which areas we don't. It shouldn't take long." In other words, which areas I'd be safe to walk alone in, and areas I'd need other people with me. Following Igarashi outside, I was ready to learn more about Karakura Town. The two of us walked through Karakura Town, when we reached the Karasu River Igarashi stopped. "Alright. So basically, we own everything on the West side of the Karasu River. Up until it joins with the Onose River that is." That… Wasn't what I was expecting.

"You're telling me you guys own like a sliver of Karakura Town?" I knew they owned a few stores here, but I thought they owned more. Compared to what the Nariakira Family owned, it was almost like they owned nothing at all.

"Hey. I told you it wouldn't take long." Igarashi shrugged. "We're still a pretty small Family in comparison. I'd say we're doing pretty good all things considered." I'd give him that at least. Gesturing for me to follow, Igarashi and I walked along the river. "The Mitsuharu and the Nariakira Family's have been at each others throats for awhile now. Everybody's just been waiting for someone to start shit." I didn't know if I should have felt honored or not. A war was about to break out because of me.

"If you guys only own a small portion of Karakura, what am I supposed to do about school?" Walking to school by myself was a sure fire way to get shot at. Strolling around town alone in general was just asking to get killed. "If I can help it, I'd like to avoid getting shot for a second time. It wasn't any fun the first time it happened, I doubt round two would be any better." Igarashi laughed.

"That's something we're all trying to avoid Ryuu. As for your question, starting tomorrow, my brother and I are gonna be escorting you to school and back." They really were going to help me attend school still. Finishing school wasn't something Yakuza normally did. If it was up to me I'd just drop out. But I made a promise that I'd finish.

"Alright. Normally I'd be against something like this, but these aren't normal times." To be fair, I knew nobody would be traveling alone. Not even my brother.

"Good. Now that that's outta the way, I'll get to what your job will be." I'd finally get to be able to help out. "Since you're still going to school, you won't be doing much. If you were to get into trouble, that would be a problem." That was true, but at the same time we were going to war. "If we really need your help with something though, we'll let you know." That made me feel a little better.

"I take it I won't be involved in any outright combat then?" At least not anywhere someone could see. Getting caught with a weapon would land me in some serious trouble. Not only that, but I'd get expelled.

"Right. You're gonna be working in the shadows for the most part." So long as I got to help I didn't care. As we continued walking alongside the river Igarashi explained more about how things worked. What stores were owned by us, and which sites were being scouted. Apparently there was some clinic that both sides had tried to strong arm, but every attempt ended in failure. The guy that owned the clinic wasn't to be messed with is what Igarashi told me. Because of that, no one messed with that area. After he explained everything I needed to know, Igarashi left. He had something to do. Which of course meant I was alone yet again. Everyone was busy with the impending war so it was just something I'd have to get used to.

" _Yer not alone kid. Ya got me!_ " Oh. You. That's right. " _Why d'ya sound so disappointed? Don't you humans get attached to things ya name?_ " Some people sure. But I wasn't one of them. Once I figure out how to get rid of you, it'll be the first thing I do! " _Good luck with that kid. I told ya already! I'm a part of you! Ain't no gett'in rid of me!_ " That was a scary thought.

Stuffing my hands into my pockets I looked across the Karasu River to the other side. Karakura Town. The side that the Nariakira Family owned. From what I've heard they don't care about the people of Karakura Town. They just see the people as profit. One day the Mitsuharu Family would take over. Once the dust settles and the conflict ends, the Mitsuharu Family will come out on top. That I promise. And I always keep my word.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an extra precaution in case anyone's skipped/missed it, I fixed last chapter. I forgot the timing of somethings, so I changed an entire portion of the chapter. I wasn't entirely happy with the original anyway. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

With Igarashi and Aoki in tow, I walked down the streets of Karakura Town. Oh. And how could I forget about Danny? Yawning as we walked, I stretched. Rubbing my eyes I let out a sigh. Last night was a rough one. One of those Hollow things screeched and woke me up. At least that's what Danny said it was. After that, it took me awhile to get back to sleep. And now on top of that…

"For the love of whatever god you pray to, shut the fuck up! Scram will ya!?" I had been followed by an annoying spirit all morning! Ever since Danny appeared, I've been able to see these bastards. It was unnerving at first, but I've grown used to it. Now that I know they're all annoying pricks that is. As the one annoying me flew off, I flipped it the bird.

"Uh. You okay Ryuu?" Aoki put a hand on my shoulder. He looked a lot like Igarashi since they were twins. Aoki was older, but only by a few minutes. Both him and Igarashi were giving me weird looks. That's right. No one else can see spirits. Or believe that I could see them. Of course that means Kuwahara's belief that I'm a Demon was only strengthened.

"Yeah man. You've been act'in kinda weird ever since ya got back from the hospital." Igarashi put a hand to his chin and looked me over. "Are you some sorta plant? Did the Naizen Clan kill the real Ryuu and put some sorta look alike in his place?" What the hell!?

"One time you were try'in to impress some girl, but you were so drunk you pissed yourself in front of her! There! Still think I'm a plant!?" Igarashi's face flushed in embarrassment and he looked away.

"You're the real Ryuu alright." The only ones that had been around for that were the three people present. "That doesn't change the fact that you've been acting strange. You sure everything's alright?" It wasn't something he'd be able to understand. I'm not so sure even I understand it yet.

"It's nothing. I'm fine, really. I…" Maybe I could just lie about it. But what could I come up with that he'd believe? "It's just… There's some new girl in class. I keep catching her look'in at me. It's starting to creep me out is all." There. That outta do it.

"Ohhhh. Now I see… You've got yourself a little admirer." How'd he come up with that!? "Ya see Ryuu, that means you should probably talk ta her." No way. She was a creep. The way she talked made her seem fake. Like she wasn't who she made herself out to be. Not to mention what happened with Ichigo after he got dragged off by her.

"Can it, it's not like that! And I told you that she's creepy. Something's not right about her." Before he could continue on, we reached the school. "I'll see you guys later. Stay safe on the way back." Igarashi gave a quick, and lazy, salute while Aoki waved.

" _I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with you fer once kid._ " How kind of you Danny… " _That girl gives off some sorta energy. It ain't like a Hollows though. She's somethin' different. For the time be'in, it's best to keep yer distance from 'er._ " You don't have to tell me twice. Because of my time on the streets, I'm able to tell when someone's being fake. And if you're saying she's giving off an energy, that's even more reason to be suspicious of her. Just what was she? What was she doing here?

The day dragged on like usual. At some point during the day they posted everyone's grades on the wall. I wasn't particularly interested in seeing where I ranked, but I was thirsty. Getting up from my seat I stretched. At the very least I'd go and get a drink. Then I could come back and take a quick nap. Walking out into the hall I headed for the nearest drinking fountain.

"Hey, Ryuu. Come over here." The one calling out to me was Tatsuki. She was friends with Orihime, the two of them were almost always together. Even though I wanted nothing to do with her, Tatsuki still tried to be my friend. "Don't you wanna see how you ranked?" If I wanted that drink, I'd have to pass by her.

"I'll pass. I don't need to compare myself to others." If I was always comparing myself to the next person, I'd never be happy. Waving her and her friends off I continued towards the drinking fountain. While I was drinking I could hear another one of my classmates making an ass of himself. Keigo Asano. The guy had a tendency of doing that. I swear. It was like they put all the crazy people in my class.

* * *

Sitting in a car staking a location out was Ichirou and Iori. They had managed to break Fujimura and get a name and location out of him. Umezawa Sadanobu. The second Lieutenant of the Nariakira Family. Unlike the Mitsuharu Family, they had kept by tradition and only assigned two Lieutenant's. Umezawa was one, the other was Kitagawa.

"Think he's gonna show?" Iori was sitting in the passenger seat smoking a cigarette. Because of this, Ichirou rolled the windows down. He couldn't stand the smell of smoke.

"If he doesn't, I'm sure Fujimura wouldn't mind paying us with his other leg." It took a lot to get Fujimura to talk. Ichirou had a feeling he knew more then he was willing to say. So long as he found out who was responsible for the shooting, he didn't care who told him.

"Ichirou… About that… Are you alright? What happened back there was… Really bad. Kozato spilled his lunch when he walked in." While Iori knew getting rough with people was a part of being a Yakuza, he wasn't used to seeing his friend get so brutal. In fact, he couldn't think of another time Ichirou had gotten so violent.

"Ryuu is the only family I have left Iori. He… Almost died because of who I am. He almost died because of me…" Ichirou gripped the steering wheel tighter. The though of Ryuu dying because of him wasn't one he liked. "I'd never forgive myself if that happened…" Both of them were dead in the eyes of their father. So it really was just Ichirou and Ryuu. But to be honest, he couldn't blame his father for hating him. He didn't hold anything against his father like Ryuu did.

"That wasn't on you. If it makes you feel any better, you can blame all of us." Iori pat his friend on the shoulder. "After all, he hung out with all of us. It wasn't you alone." Ichirou loosened his grip on the steering wheel. Iori was right. He had to stop putting everything on himself. As the two talked some more, their target eventually came into view. Umezawa walked into the nearby liquor store.

Both Ichirou and Iori got out of the car and headed towards the store. When they walked in, Umezawa was no where to be seen. He must have headed towards the back. As they made their way to the back, the cashier tried to stop them. Iori sent a punch the cashiers way and laid the man out. With the only obstacle out of their way, they entered the back room. Ichirou slammed the door open and took a look around. Once his eyes landed on his target, he scowled.

"Lieutenant Sadanobu. You're coming with us." Sitting on the cough smoking a cigar, Umezawa chuckled. He was dressed in black and wore gold jewelry. Just with one look, Ichirou could tell he was a tacky man. Taking his sunglasses off, he rested them on his head. Umezawa gave them a smug look.

"Am I now? I think my boys here would say otherwise." The four other Yakuza in the room stood up. One of them cracked their knuckles. "Each one's worth ten million yen. If ya kill both, that's twenty million! Have at it boys!" The four Yakuza rushed Ichirou and Iori. They all took out various knifes. At least one had a Tantō. Rushing in themselves, Ichirou and Iori took them on head first. They each took two. Because of the knifes, they had to be extra careful. Thanks to the lack of room, this would be a very difficult fight.

Ducking the swipe sent his way Ichirou gut punched the first grunt to attack him. Before he could attack the second guy he had to back off. If he didn't, he would have gotten a knife to the face. Iori seemed to be having the same troubles as Ichirou. Meanwhile, Umezawa was watching from the comfort of his couch. He laughed as he watched the fight.

Ichirou didn't let the taunt get the better of him. Instead, he let it fuel him. If Umezawa thought this was funny, then he'd put on a show for the ages. Bending back to evade the next stab, Ichirou kicked the guys kneecap. This caused the grunt to drop his knife. Standing back up Ichirou grabbed onto his arm and spun his attacker around. Throwing the grunt at the apex of his spin, the Yakuza slammed into a wall. While his friend was distracted Ichirou sent an uppercut towards his final enemy.

With his opponents knocked out cold he went to help Iori. Iori was holding out, but Ichirou wanted to deal with the grunts as fast as possible. Grabbing onto the closest ones head, he slammed the grunt into the ground. Iori kicked his opponent in the chest and sent him crashing into the glass table.

"Well Umezawa. Ready to go now? Play times over." Ichirou and Iori kept their stances up. If Umezawa tried something, they'd be ready. Shooting up to his feet Umezawa looked flustered. He hadn't expected them to actually win. "Now then Umezawa, what's it going to be? Your choice." Whatever he chose, Ichirou had the bastard right where he wanted him.

* * *

"So Ryuu, how'd it go? You talk to your not so secret admirer?" If I knew he wouldn't see it coming, I would have punched Igarashi. The way we fought you'd think we were brothers.

"I told you to drop it!" If Igarashi were to just meet the chick, he'd know what I was talking about. Walking with the twins, I noticed that Aoki was glued to his phone. "Whatchya do'in Aoki?" He looked up from his cell phone and over at me.

"Not much. Just messaging some of the guys. They're lett'in me know about something going down." That probably meant we were making moves already. Igarashi already told me that if they needed my help, they'd let me know. So instead of asking anything more I let it go.

While we were walking back to the Family office, a loud sound rang out. It sounded like a thunder storm. Looking up I couldn't see any clouds. Well. Any thunderstorm worthy clouds. But what I did see was much worse then some little storm. Stopping in my tracks I watched as something pulled itself out of the sky. A Hollow. Before it could fully pull itself out of whatever it was stuck in, a blue bolt hit the thing and it exploded.

" _Uhh. Kid. Ya might wanna get away from these two._ " Why's that Danny? " _Those Hollow things are attracted to things that give off energy._ _An' you probably smell like quite tha meal fer a Hollow. You're putt'in them in danger just by be'in by 'em!_ " Shit.

"Hey guys. I uh. Just remembered that I have a, uh… Thing." Real smooth Ryuu! Igarashi and Aoki gave me weird looks. "It's… Really important!" Come on, think!

" _Kid, they're gett'in closer!_ " I know Danny! Not helping!

"What are you talking about Ryuu?" Igarashi just got more confused the more I spoke. Think dammit! Wait. That's it!

"I've got a group project! Real important. It's like a final exam of sorts. Ya know. Worth a lot of points. If I don't score well, I could get held back. See ya guys!" I started to run but remembered something. "Take this back to the office for me!" Tossing them my school bag, I didn't want to have to worry about it. Before they could protest I ran off.

" _Those things are all over tha place kid! None of 'em are worth the dirt under yer boot, but that doesn't matter when there's a shit load of 'em!_ " I've only run into one of these things since we met! Tell me what to do Danny! " _If one catches up to ya, kill it! If a group shows up, run like hell!_ " Real sound advice Dan! " _Dodge now!_ " Doing as Danny said I dodged backwards and narrowly avoided a fist.

The creature in front of me was much different from the last one I faced. It still had it's mask though. Danny did say all Hollows had one. Along with that gaping hole in it's chest. Summoning Danny, I gripped the sword with two hands. Rushing forward I did exactly what I did last time. Taking out it's leg, I was able to easily slash at it's head.

" _Nice go'in kid, now keep run'in!_ " Sending Danny back on stand by I kept running. Turning right I was met by a blockade of Hollows. " _Shit, go back! Go back!_ " Spinning on my heel to run back, I was blocked by more Hollows. " _Guess we've got no choice but ta fight! Kill tha one's that matter, and keep run'in!_ " These one's were smaller and easier to cut through. Their bug like appearance did creep me out though.

Following Danny's orders I only killed the Hollows that prevented me from moving forward. Breaking through their ranks I didn't stop. Running down the streets of Karakura I needed to find a place where I could get away from these things. Staying in the city was suicide as it was too easy to get cornered. Running towards the river I followed it to the next bridge. Crossing over to the other side I ran towards the woods. At least I would have more space out there.

As I ran the thunderous sound up above kept roaring. Looking up I saw that the sky looked as if it was cracking. What the hell was going on!?

" _It's tha end of days! It's all over! It was nice know'in ya kid!_ " Shut the hell up! Nothing's over yet dumbass! " _Easy fer you ta say! You can't sense all tha Hollows out an about!_ " It doesn't matter if I can sense them or not! Now pay attention and let me know when one gets too close! " _In that case, on the right!_ " Summoning Danny I slashed at the Hollow to my right. _"Left!_ " Slashing left I attacked the other one. " _Behind us!_ " Spinning back I blocked the attack from the one behind us. The force was enough to knock me onto my ass. Getting up I faced down the weird look'in Hollow. " _Careful kid, this one feels a little different!_ " Holding Danny in a defensive stance I waited to see if it did anything. It looked eerily humanoid. The mask and hole were dead give aways though.

" **My, you have a strange odor for a human.** " Oh come on! " **But judging by that sword of yours, I don't think you're just a human.** " Could it sense Danny? " **What are you really. Are you a Shinigami?** **You don't smell like any that I've devoured.** **I bet you taste different as well.** " Tensing my body up, I got ready to attack.

"Even if I knew what a Shinigami was, I'd never tell you!" With a yell I charged forward. Bringing Danny down in a wide swing I put all my strength into the attack. But the Hollow dodged my attack with ease. Laughing at my miss, it kicked me back.

" **You think you stand a chance against me? That's laughable.** " Gritting my teeth I got back up. " **Normally I don't fight my prey. Consider yourself lucky boy.** " Cocky bastard… I'll show him!

Rushing forward to attack the Hollow I swung Danny around. Each slash either missed or the Hollow deflected. This bastard really was different from the others! Instead of just flailing randomly, I'd have to actually think about my next move.

" _It's all over! We don't stand a chance! Not only that, but dozens upon dozens of Hollows are converging nearby! We're dead!_ " I told you… To shut the hell up! If you're not gonna help, then just be quiet and let me think!

Going for a high slash I missed on purpose and went for a stab. This threw the Hollow off and I nearly got the thing. That's what he got for looking down on me! Going in for another stab I slashed right and just barely grazed the Hollow. Slowly but surely I'd take this Hollow out! I could do it! Catching me off guard the Hollow kicked me and sent me flying back. Crashing into a tree I dropped to the ground and Danny fell from my hands. That hurt. Gripping onto Danny I forced myself back up.

" **You just don't know how to stay down, don't you?** " No matter how many times he kicked me down, I wouldn't quit. I still had a promise to keep!

"No. I don't. Can't would be more appropriate." Wiping the blood from my lip I stared the creature down. The more we fought, the more I realized just how outclassed I was. No way was I outrunning this thing though. My only option was to fight. "I can't die here. I can't die until I've kept my promise!" I refused to end up like my father! Someone who talked big, but could never act on anything he said!

" _Ryuu. There's one thing I can do. But it won't last long. Not only that, but the countless Hollows nearby'll most likely be attracted to the energy. Just say tha word._ " Whatever you've got Danny, now's the time! If the fight continues like this, we're dead either way. " _Very well. Word of advice, this'll hurt._ " A wave of energy washed over me. The initial shock made me think I was going to die. For a moment, I thought my heart stopped beating. With my newfound strength, I gripped Danny even tighter. My knuckles turned white. The power rush made me smile. It was a good feeling.

Knowing I didn't have time to mess around I rushed towards the Hollow. Everything seemed to be boosted. My hearing, sight, speed and most like strength as well. None of my attacks missed and I forced the Hollow to fight seriously. Feeling my power fade I sent one last slash the Hollows way. Aiming for it's head, I went to finish it off. Instead, I merely left a giant scratch. Falling down I didn't have the strength to get back up. Danny disappeared as well.

" **How did you hit me!? Where did you get that power!? What the hell** _ **are**_ **you!?** " The Hollow was throwing a fit because I had managed to leave a mark. Growling, it stared at me. What a baby. The sight made me laugh.

"You got scratched… by a human… Guess that mark… makes you my bitch…" As the Hollow fumed more, I laughed. It was all I could do since I was about to die. Might as well have some fun with it. Right? Turning it's hand into a sort of pike, it went to stab me. Closing my eyes I got ready for death.

" **What!?** " When I didn't die, I opened my eyes. Blocking the attack was a women with dark skin and purple hair. She was wearing a weird outfit as well. " **A Shinigami!? A powerful one at that!** " Backing off the Hollow looked at me. " **I'll remember this human. I'll be back for you!** " If I could, I would have flipped him off.

"Fuck… You…" That would have to do for the time being. I tried to look at my savior, but my energy was fading fast. Everything was blurry and it was getting harder to keep my eyes open. "Thanks…" If they were even still around, I let my thanks known. They did respond, but I couldn't hear a word they said. It was all garbled. All I heard was noise. Heh. Look at that Danny. We lived. Told you nothing was over… yet.


	6. Promises on Top of Promises

To my surprise I wasn't dead. Instead, I was waking up in some room I had never seen before. Due to the fact that I wasn't bound and unharmed, I took it that the Nariakira Family didn't capture me. Looking out the window I could see that the sun wasn't quite up yet. Standing up I stretched and let out a yawn. At least I got some sleep in. Guess all it took was getting the shit beaten out of me. Who would have thought?

"Ah. You're finally up." Startling me, a man in green walked into the room. "For awhile, I thought you weren't going to make it." Was he a friend of that person who saved me? That reminded me, why did they save me? They must be part of some Family I haven't heard of.

"What Family are you from? Why did you help me?" The man kept his hat tilted so it was hard for me to see his face. It didn't help that he was holding onto his hat. Further obstructing his face. This would make it difficult for me to tell if he was lying.

"Family? Ah. That's right. My friend's told me a lot about you. If it helps, I'm not part of any 'Family'. The name's Kisuke Urahara." Okay. That would have helped. If he didn't mention someone knowing a lot about me. "As for why we helped you… well… Let's just say that your Reiatsu is very intriguing." What the hell was Reiatsu? "But who am I kidding. You shouldn't be thanking me, thank my best buddy here!" Kisuke turned around and picked something up.

"A… Cat?" I could have sworn a person saved me. Maybe the cat was the one to bring me back here? No, that was a stupid idea. Could the cat sense… what did he call it? Reiatsu? Maybe the cat sensed my Reiatsu and brought this Kisuke guy to me. That was the only thing I could think of that made sense.

"Yup! So if you should thank anyone, it's my little buddy here!" Yeah. Like a cat could understand if I was thankful or not. I loved cat's, but I guess not as much as this guy.

"Uh. Thanks?" As soon as Kisuke put his cat back down, he put his serious tone back on.

"Now for what's really important. Since I've helped you, I hope you don't mind helping me in return." There was a lot that I didn't know about this guy. "There's a problem brewing, and I would greatly appreciate your help when that problem finally boils over." He wasn't helping his case by being vague. "If you do promise to help me, then I'd be willing to teach you how to do more then just swing that sword of yours around." He also knew about Danny… It was a difficult choice. The guy was weird, and knew a lot about me. But… He, or one of his friends, helped me.

"I'll help you. Under one condition. No innocent people get hurt." Just as a precaution, I threw in a demand. If civilians were going to get hurt, I was out. Kisuke smiled and let go of his hat.

"You've got yourself a deal kid." Walking up to Kisuke I shook his hand. "Now if you don't want to be late for school, I'd get a move on. It looks like the sun is about to come up." Oh shit! Taking a quick glance out the window I could see that he was telling the truth.

"Thanks for the save! I've gotta go!" Running out of the shop I had to get to the Family office. Hopefully the guys weren't too worried about me. Jogging down the streets of Karakura I had to orientate myself before I could make my way back. Thinking back on it, I probably should have asked Kisuke where in Karakura Town I was. When I finally made it back to the office I could see Igarashi and Aoki were in. Igarashi had a shocked expression on his face when he saw me.

"Ryuu, there you are! We were gett'in worried about you!" That was understandable. Considering how I kinda ran off with a weak excuse.

"Sorry about that. The uh… project was a little harder then expected. I ended up just passing out at their place."They seemed to believe it. Or if they didn't believe it, they didn't show any signs of not believing me.

"Ya know Ryuu. You don't have ta lie to me." Ah shit. Igarashi didn't buy it. "That lady friend of yours is back in town, isn't she?" Wait, what? "You went to pay her a visit, didn't you? If you were gonna go have some fun, that's all ya had ta say dude." It seems I underestimated Igarashi's stupidity.

"Listen here ya fucker. It wasn't like that! I really had important work ta do! Say anything else and I'll make you regret it! Now outta the way. I gotta get ready to go to school." Igarashi and Aoki laughed. Ignoring them I did my morning ritual and got ready for school. When I was ready the three of us headed out.

The walk to school was thankfully uneventful. After the day I had yesterday I wasn't looking for any more action. Upon reaching the school we said our goodbyes and I headed in. Surprisingly Uryū showed up late today. On top of that, he had bandages around his arms. He said he tripped down some stairs, but that was the oldest excuse in the book. When Danny was still around, he did say that Uryū had a strange energy about him. It was different from Rukia's and Ichigo's though. Could it have involved what happened yesterday?

* * *

"You really think you'll be able to find this guy Ichirou?" Ichirou and Iori had just returned to the Family office. "The name Umezawa gave us is obviously a fake. I say we get back at him for lying to us." Iori seemed to think that they were at a dead end, but Ichirou thought otherwise.

"It's not a… He didn't lie Iori. The name's fake, sure, but that doesn't mean Umezawa lied." The name they were given was obviously a code name. Looking down at the paper Umezawa had given them, Ichirou read what was written. Theorc. "All we have to do is find out who The Orc is. Simple. Right?" Sitting down Iori sighed.

"I say just give it up. We're at war Ichirou. The guys gonna get it in the end anyways." Iori had no way of knowing that. There was nothing stopping the guy behind the shooting from running. "Just… promise me that you won't let this consume you. Remember what's important. Like the fact that Ryuu's still alive. No matter what you choose though, just know that I'll back you up." Sighing, Ichirou rubbed the back of his head. Putting the piece of paper away Ichirou crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Just then the door opened.

"Ah. Ichirou. Iori. It's nice to see the two of you." It was Captain Yasutake. Behind him was Kozato and Yamaoka. "Is Patriarch Mitsuharu in?" Yamaoka went over to take a seat next to Iori. Kozato went straight over to his manga collection.

"Yeah. He's in his office." Ichirou uncrossed his arms and pointed towards the Patriarch's office. Captain Yasutake thanked Ichirou and then entered the Patriarch's office.

"So. You guys find that guy Fujimura told us about? Make any headway?" Kozato plopped down with one of his manga's. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he actually ran with the Mitsuharu Family.

"Yeah. This." Taking out the piece of paper, Ichirou slipped it to Kozato. After looking at it for awhile, Kozato just seemed confused. "It's a code name. The Orc" In Ichirou's opinion, it was kind of a lame code name. "Hey, Kozato. You're into that fantasy stuff. Do you know anyone that goes by that name?" It was a slim chance, but it was something at least.

"Nah. Sorry. I played some American game called D&D and I knew people then. But that was a long time ago. Before I joined the Family. I've fallen out with a lot of those people since then." Damn. It was worth a shot. "Actually… I might know someone who might. It's not a guarantee, but maybe they'll know." Taking the piece of paper back Ichirou gave Kozato a friendly punch to the shoulder.

"Hey, anything that might help! When can we talk to this guy!?" Kozato put his manga down and leaned back.

"I dunno. I'll have to get in contact with 'em. I may or may not have forgotten his number, but once I do find him, I'll let you know." Just when Iori had thought they hit a dead end, they managed to break through. Iori had to give it to his friend. When he was determined, Ichirou wouldn't let anything stop him.

* * *

"Ichigo!" Keigo came rushing back into the room. Like usual, he was making an ass out of himself. "Let's have lunch together!" I'd never understand why those two hang out. They seemed like complete opposites.

"Sure, but can I invite someone else, too?" Not interested in their conversation anymore I did my best to tune them out. That was until Keigo had another outburst.

"What! W-Why Uryū!? Eating with a guy like that can't be fun at all! I get it! It must be the bandages! Were those bandages that funny, Ichigo!?" The guy just didn't know how to stay quiet. Having had enough I got up and left. If he wasn't going to be quiet, I'd just leave. Heading outside the school I found a quiet place where I could be alone. When I sat down someone let out a loud yawn.

" _That was a damn good nap._ " Well look who it is. I thought I was rid of you. " _Aww. Ya missed me! That would bring a tear to my eye if I had one!_ " I wasn't worried dumbass. Not about you anyways. If anything, I was worried about if I would be able to help Kisuke or not. " _Kisuke? Who's that?_ " Someone who helped me after I passed out. You could have warned me about that by the way. " _Whoops. My bad._ " Yeah. Your bad. Now that I have your attention, I've got a question. That Hollow mentioned something about a Shinigami. Do you know anything about them? " _Hmmm. Now that ya mention it… I know a little about 'em. They hunt Hollows. So long as ya_ _don't cause trouble_ _, they should leave ya alone._ " That was good to know.

During the break I filled Danny in on what he missed. Which in all honesty wasn't much. If anything, Danny had more to tell me. Like how that Hollow I fought wasn't just any Hollow. According to him, I should have died. He said it was a miracle I managed to land the one hit I did. Before long the bell had rung and lunch was over.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on like usual. It took a lot not to pass out. On top of that, with everything running through my brain it made it hard to concentrate. All in all, I didn't absorb a damn thing in school today. It didn't matter in the end. So long as I graduated. That's what really mattered. Even if I came out the bottom of the barrel, I didn't care. On the way out I met up with Igarashi and Aoki like usual. What wasn't like usual however, was the person that grabbed my shoulder.

"Ryuu! I'm glad I was able to catch you in time!" Turning around, I was met with Kisuke. What the hell was he doing here?

"Who the hell'r you?" Igarashi crossed his arms and stood up straight. He was trying to intimidate Kisuke.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara. I'm one of Ryuu's teachers." Hearing this, Igarashi backed down. "I came to tell you that you forgot something Ryuu. I'm surprised, considering how important it is!" Kisuke handed me what looked like a permission slip. "Don't forget to have a parent or guardian sign it! Have a good day now!" With a wave, Kisuke walked away. That was… weird. Looking at the slip I read it more closely. Apparently it was a permission slip for me to go on a field trip over the summer.

"Are all your teachers that weird Ryuu?" Aoki didn't even know the half of it. Slipping the paper into my pocket I turned back around.

"More or less. Let's just get back to the office." Oddly enough, I could see Kisuke being a teacher at my school. He'd fit right in.

When we got back to the office I noticed that everyone was here today. Must've been a slow day. Iori was out front smoking and he greeted us when we got back. Inside, Kozato was reading like normal, Kuwahara was eating, Yamaoka was counting money and Umemoto was watching TV. Patriarch Mitsuharu was sitting next to Kozato reading a magazine. It was nice to see all the guys in one place.

"Hey guys. Welcome back." Ichirou greeted us as we walked in. That reminded me. I had to have Ichirou sign that paper Kisuke gave me. Obviously whatever he needed help with wasn't going to be an easy fix. The man was strange, but I had a feeling he liked to play his cards close.

"Yo Ichirou. I need you to sign something for me." Taking out the slip, I gave it to Ichirou. "There's this field trip coming up. Normally I wouldn't bother, but there's a lot of extra credit involved. Oh and uh… Don't worry about payment. The school got some kind of… grant… or something." Hopefully he bought that. Judging by the fact that he took the slip from me and looked it over, I'd say he did. Going off to retrieve a pen, my brother signed the slip and returned it to me.

"Just don't cause too much trouble, eh?" For some reason, I had a feeling this little 'trip' of mine would be nothing _but_ trouble. Pocketing the paper I'd make sure to toss it later. It was mainly for show so that none of the guys would worry about me while I was off helping Kisuke. Hopefully whatever he needed help with didn't involve being out and about in Karakura Town. If he went out of his way to give me that slip, it was safe to assume it wouldn't.

Hanging out with the guys I couldn't help but feel… off. Like something was wrong. That helping this Kisuke guy wasn't the smartest idea. It was too late for regrets now. I already promised the guy I'd help him. He did save me after all. Or, one of his friends did. Whatever was about to happen, I could only hope that I was ready for it. What even happened with my life? Why was a gang war turning into one of the more normal parts of my life?


	7. Training Day Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For awhile, I didn't think I'd get this out on time. This chapter was realllly bugging me. I wasn't sure just how to approach the whole training situation. I guess at the end of the day no matter what I do I won't please everyone. What I have in mind will be pretty clear at the end of this chapter. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

"Now then… That's about it for reminders. All right, students, don't die before September! Class dismissed!" And with that, Summer break had officially started. The speech Ms. Ochi gave might have been for the whole class, but I couldn't help but feel as though it was targeted towards me. Not wanting to waste anytime I got up from my seat and left. For the time being, I was done with school.

Exiting the school I met up with Igarashi and Aoki like normal. Together the three of us walked back to the Family office. Though on the way there was something I just couldn't get off my mind. All day, something felt wrong. Something was off and I couldn't put my finger on it.

" _Maybe it has to do with the fact that a few a yer classmates were miss'in._ " I noticed that. Uryū and Rukia were both absent today. Weren't they. " _So ya did notice eh?_ " Kind of hard not to. Especially considering the type of person Uryū is. It's not like him to skip class. Knowing that Rukia is a Shinigami, her disappearance is just as concerning. " _Would it be a bad time ta tell ya I can't sense her anymore? It's like tha girl vanished._ " Vanished? That can't be right.

"Yo, you in there Ryuu?" Aoki waved a hand in front of my face. "Did you hear what I said?" Nope. Not a single word.

"Sorry. What did you say?" Rolling his eyes Aoki gave me a light shove before backing off.

"I said I got a message from Umemoto. He needs my help with something. I'll see you guys back at the office some time." Normally, it wouldn't be such a good idea to go off on your own at a time like this. But Aoki was a pretty sneaky guy. Most of the time he wore all black to blend in in the night. Hoodie, jeans, boots. The whole nine yards.

"Alright Aoki. See ya later. Stay safe man." With a wave, he set off to go help Umemoto. That left me and Igarashi. The two of us continued on.

"Ya know Ryuu… You've been doing that a lot." Giving Igarashi a weird look, I didn't know what he was talking about. "Don't play dumb. The spacing out. It's not like you." It was as if he read my mind. "So come on. Spit it out. What's eat'in at you." Now that we were alone, the playful Igarashi was gone. He was replaced with his more serious side. Scratching the back of my head, I didn't know what to say. Even if I were to tell him the truth, he wouldn't believe me.

"It's… Nothing. I'm just a little tired is all. It's been a wild past few days. Ya know?" Getting beat, shot and learning about spiritual beings outta leave a guy tired. It was a miracle I was still functional actually.

"You don't have to lie to me Ryuu. Why don't you cut the shit an' tell me the truth?" Should've known better then to lie around Igarashi. It was difficult to get anything past him. "Are you scared? If you want to leave town for a bit, the Patriarch would understand. Our Family operates on a completely different level than most." No way was I going to back down now. Not when the guys needed me the most. Sighing, I tried to decide if I should really tell Igarashi the truth or not.

"I told you. It's nothing." Igarashi stopped us. Grabbing onto my shoulder he looked me in the eyes.

"Ryuu. Stop trying to act like your brother. Tell me what's wrong." Guess I had no choice. So. How did I go about this without completely freaking him out?

"Fine. But I know you won't believe me because I've already told you." Shrugging Igarashi off I pocketed my hands. "I can see spirits." Crossing his arms Igarashi gave me a disapproving look. "See. I told you. No one believes me. "Igarashi sighed and wiped his face.

"Well when you say something like that, of course I don't believe you. Your excuse of being tired is more believable than you seeing spirits." Just like last time, he wrote me off. "Ghosts aren't real Ryuu. They're only something con artists use to get money outta the gullible. No one's been able to provide any real evidence that they exist." Not too long ago, I believed the same thing. "Now really. Tell the truth. I'm starting to get agitated." If he wanted proof… then I'd give him proof. Hopefully he didn't freak out too bad. Setting my school bag down I prepared myself.

"Oh I've got proof. Just… don't freak out. Okay?" Igarashi looked amused. Stepping back, I took a deep breath. Here's to hoping I don't fuck things up. Holding out my right hand, I summoned Danny. Golden particles came together to form a katana. Grabbing onto the sheathe with my left hand, I unsheathed Danny. "See. Here's your proof." Putting his hands down Igarashi went pale. His eyes were wide and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"What… What in the…" Sending the sheathe away I slid my hand across the blade. The thing that's saved my life on multiple occasions. "Ryuu… How long have you…" Reaching out Igarashi touched Danny to see if he was real or not. When he felt the cold, metallic sword… he knew it wasn't a trick.

"Ever since I got shot. At first, I thought it was just a bad dream. But soon I realized it was more then that." Sending Danny away I picked my school bag back up. "I can see the spirits of people who've died. Not only that, but I can… see more dangerous stuff as well." Hey. I've already told him this much. Why stop now? "They're called Hollows. That day I said I was off to do a school project… I was just trying to get away from you." If I hadn't, him and Aoki would have gotten hurt. "Apparently, they're attracted to things with… uh… what did he call it again? Reiatsu. That's it. I give that stuff off. In order to keep you guys safe, I led them away from you." I'd keep out the part where I nearly got killed.

"Ryuu… That's… That's insane. I… Wait… The day you got back from the hospital." It sounds like he was finally starting to believe me. "I heard that your wounds had healed way too fast for a normal humans…" A look of fear flashed on his face. "Are you… a Demon?" Maybe. I wasn't sure what I was.

"Who knows. I haven't been able to figure that out yet myself. But don't worry. I'm still me. Whether I'm human or not doesn't change anything." Just saying that felt weird. I couldn't imagine what Igarashi was thinking. "No matter what, I'm loyal to you guys. The Mitsuharu Family _is_ my family. I'll fight for you guys till the end." That seemed to calm him down. "Before I forget, you can't tell anyone else this Iga. I know it's a lot to take in, but the others can't know." Especially not my brother. "It's not like they'd believe you anyways. Well. Kuwahara might." The guy was as gullible as they came.

"All right… I won't tell anyone…" That went better then I had expected. At the very least I expected a scream or two. "We should… Probably get back to the office." Nodding in agreement, the two of us continued on. The rest of our walk was quiet. Igarashi was most likely thinking over everything I had told him. Just like me, his world had probably been spun upside down. Sleep did not come easy for me the night I met Danny. We eventually managed to reach the office. Just as we were about to go in, I caught a glimpse of a cat out of the corner of my eyes.

"Hey, Iga. Wait a sec." Going over to the cat I noticed it had something in it's mouth. A small piece of paper. On it were the words, "It's Time". Standing back up I looked at Igarashi. "I've got somewhere I gotta be Iga. Mind taking this in for me?" I tossed my school bag over to him. "Can you tell the guys I went on that trip by the way? I'd say goodbye myself, but…" Looking down, I watched as the cat pawed at my ankle.

"Yeah. I'll do that." I was starting to get nervous. Who knew what waited for me? "Hey. Uh Ryuu. Stay safe. Alright?" Putting on a smile, I gave Igarashi a thumbs up.

"You bet! You guys don't go fucking things up while I'm gone, got it!" Iga's mood seemed to get better when I said that. Grinning, he flipped me off. "Love ya too bro! I'll be back soon!" Still scared as hell, I walked off with the black cat. It was a good thing Kisuke sent his cat to fetch me. I'd never be able to find his place otherwise.

"If you have anything left to do, I'd recommend doing it now." The hell? Who said that? Whipping my head around I tried to find who talked. "Down here." Wait. The cat? "Yes. Your ears aren't deceiving you." Holy shit… "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Don't worry it's only natural that you-"

"Sweet! Now I see why Kisuke called you his best friend!" If I had a talking cat as a friend, I'd make it my best friend as well! "That asshole should'a told me you could talk!" Compared to talking swords, ghosts and Hollows, a talking cat wasn't the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. Should I be worried that a talking cat was one of the least weirdest things I'd ever seen?

"Now that's a reaction I've yet to see. But yes. I can talk. My name is Yoruichi Shihōin." My opinion on Shinigami just reached new levels.

"Well Yoruichi, I'd tell you my name, but I'm sure Kisuke's already told told you." It still freaked me out that the guy knew stuff about me. If it wasn't for the fact that he saved me, I wouldn't be going to help him.

"I believe that you have it the other way around. I'm the one who told Kisuke." The cat was the one Kisuke had spying on me? It makes sense. But still… "In fact, I know much more then just your name Ryuu." That was ominous.

"Just how much do you know about me?" Who would ever expect a cat? Was Yoruichi the one Danny had sensed?

"Let's see… I know where you attend school, your grade, age and even about your 'Family'." So it really was Yoruichi that had been following me around.

"How long have you been following me? And why?" Even though he was only a cat, it was still creepy. No matter who or what it was, being watched by something was weird.

"A short while after you had awoken to your abilities. As for why… well… I had to make sure you weren't a threat." Okay. Maybe the Shinigami were more serious then I thought. "If you were. Well. I would have taken care of it." In other words he'd kill me.

"I don't mean to be rude, but how would you do that? I mean… you're just a cat." I found it very hard to believe a cat would be able to take me on. What was he gonna do? Claw me to death?

"You don't really believe I carried you back to Kisuke's like this, do you? Either way, you're safe. For now." So the cat really was the one to save me. But what did he mean by that? Having reached Kisuke's I'd have to ask later. "Kisuke should be waiting for you inside. We'll meet again, Ryuu." The cat brushed up against my leg and started to walk off.

"You're not gonna come in?" Maybe Yoruichi didn't necessarily live here. He was probably a stray that came and went as he pleased. That was the only thing I could think of.

"There are other things I have to attend to. Like I said, we'll meet again." The cat walked off and left me alone. Turning towards the door I reached out to it. My hand froze before I could open the door. A bad feeling welled up inside me. Was this really a good idea? Regaining my confidence, I opened the door and stepped inside.

"Ah Ryuu. How nice of you to join us." Standing there was Kisuke, Ichigo and some other people I had yet to meet. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it. So I was about to start things without you." Can't be late if you don't give a time old man. Scoffing I walked up to the group.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Wanna tell me why one of my classmates is here?" Thanks to Danny I knew Ichigo had powers. Shinigami powers to be exact. Though as to why Ichigo was here, I had no clue. Come to think of it, if he had Ichigo here why'd he need me?

"That's because the both of you will be undergoing training together. Though if I'm being honest, it's Ichigo that's going to have the larger hill to climb." That was fine by me. "As a Yakuza, I'm sure you probably prefer it that way Ryuu." The asshole said that with a smile on his face. Whipping out a fan he used it to hide said face of his. Smug bastard…

"Wait, you mean to tell me that this guy's in my class, and he's a Yakuza?" Wow Ichigo. I'm hurt. Think I'm gonna cry even. As if. Guess I don't have to worry about him spreading shit about me. Doubt he'll remember me after we're done with our training.

"Yeah dumbass, I'm in your class. Don't you remember? Your body doubled, er, whatever that was, kicked your, uh, soul form at me! That shit hurt." Maybe if I had just been some random student I'd understand. But the dude nearly crushed me!

"Ohhhh. That's right. Sorry about that. Just so you know, that wasn't me. It was Kon who kicked me at you." Whatever. I was passed that by now.

"Are you two ready?" Ah shit. Fuck'in great start eh? I got pissed and I already forgot why I was here.

"Yeah. Sure. Let's get this over with." Whatever Kisuke needed my help with, it must've been big. Otherwise there wouldn't be a reason to his training session. Not to mention the fact that Ichigo was here. Gesturing towards three others in the room Kisuke had the tall, buff one remove a floor panel to reveal a ladder. One by one, we all climbed down. And man. Was it one hell of a climb.

"Huh!? What is this!? Imagine that! A huge cavern was underneath the shop!" The place was giant. Part of me found it hard to believe that something like this was kept secret. I mean, how the hell hasn't _anyone_ accidentally stumbled across this place?

"Shut up! You don't have to yell. I'm pretty damn surprised." Unlike me, Ichigo acknowledged the old mans lame excuse for humor.

"Then that's fine." Crossing my arms I watched as the two bickered. Or more accurately, as Ichigo complained. Kisuke seemed pretty laid back.

"Let's get started with the 'lesson' or whatever." I couldn't agree more. We came here to train, so might as well get to it. There was no point in slacking like this.

"All right, as you wish." After saying this, Kisuke flourished his cane. Jabbing the end of his cane at Ichigo's head, the thing seemed to go all the way through. Ichigo, er, Ichigo's soul, flew our of his body. His soul and body were linked by a chain. Just like me when I was shot.

"Damn it! What's the big idea!" Standing up as if it wasn't a big deal, Ichigo yelled at Kisuke. That was until he fell to his knee.

"When you're in the form of a soul, it's hard to breathe, isn't it?" Was it? I don't remember having many problems when I was like this. In fact, it took me looking down at my body to realize something was wrong. "Right now, your Hakusui, which is the Wellspring of your spiritual energy, and the Saketsu, the booster, have been destroyed." I… Didn't understand a word of that. But at least that would explain why Ichigo was having problems standing. "In other words, your soul is like that of the average person who has no Reiryoku." Why the hell didn't he just say that in the first place? "So to start, we must restore the Reiryoku that you've lost." This outta be good.

"Then what do I do!?" This was all too confusing for me. How the hell did Ichigo even lose his powers? Was it because of the Rukia chick? I mean, according to Danny, she had just vanished. Were their powers linked somehow?

"Well, rather than explain it, why don't we just do it? Hey, are you ready?" Kisuke called out to someone. Following his gaze, I saw that it was a little girl. I think Kisuke called her Ururu upstairs. She was holding a bunch of gear.

"Nice to see you." She sounded meek and looked frail. Kind of a weird person to have help around a shop. Especially one like Kisuke's.

"Lesson One! Please fight her." The fuck!? Was Kisuke out've his damn mind!?

"Huh?" Even Ichigo was confused! The moment he decked her, Ururu would be out cold! That is if she didn't shatter into a million pieces!

"The rules are simple. Lesson One will be over once either one of you are rendered immobile. Please knock her out." Jesus fucking Christ dude.

"Are you kidding!? You want me to hit a child like her?" If this had been my training, I would have flat out refused. From the sounds of it, Ichigo didn't want to do it either. At the end of the day, it was his 'lesson' so I didn't have any right to tell him what to do. Whatever he chose was his choice alone.

"I think it will be quite difficult." Ururu tossed Ichigo some gear. She was already wearing some herself.

"Please put those on properly. Otherwise, you'll die." Okay. On second thought, maybe Ichigo should punt that child as far as he possibly could. I'm putting that on the top five list of creepiest shit I've ever heard a child say.

"This is so silly! No way!" Not long after Ichigo said that, Ururu rushed him down. Faster then I was expecting. She went in for a punch and the ground near Ichigo exploded. Yup. I was fuck'in done. The actual FUCK was that!?

"See? Don't say I didn't warn you." Dust was everywhere and it made it hard to see. Eventually I was able to spot the evil child, but there wasn't any sign of Ichigo.

"He isn't coming out." The other child, I believe he was called Jinta upstairs, noted the obvious.

"Did he die?" The giant, or Tessai, and I seemed to have the same thing in mind. The reverse of what I thought would happen, happened. Instead of Ururu getting obliterated, it was Ichigo.

"I wonder." Kisuke was hiding behind that damn fan of his. No doubt he was hiding a stupid grin behind it. Proving me wrong however, Ichigo came tumbling out of the smoke.

"Oh, there he is." Getting up, Ichigo had a strange expression on his face. Turning around he faced Ururu and ran towards her. "Oh, he's going after her!" And then he ran right past her. "Or not, he ran right past her." Rightfully so, Ichigo was scared for his life. Not stopping, he picked up the gear as he ran.

"Damn it! What was that!? If I get hit with that, I'm dead! Hey! How do I put this on!?" Did he really think that was going to protect him? It was like Ururu had bombs for fists. No matter what he was wearing, getting hit by her would be like getting punched by a bomb.

"Ichigo, your forehead! Your forehead!" Kisuke made gestures to show Ichigo what to do.

"Huh? Like this?" Ichigo put the thing on his head like Kisuke told him to. To be honest, he looked a little stupid.

"And then, you holler as loud as you can: Take this! Power of justice! Armor of justice! Justice headband! In place!" That was the lamest shit I had ever heard. No way was that real.

"Okay, got! All right! Like I'd do that!" After tossing the headband Ichigo picked it right back up and avoided an attack from Ururu. That little girl was relentless.

"See? No time to feel embarrassed." Kisuke had a smile on his face as Ichigo ran for his life. This whole situation just felt a little fucked up. Screw that. Everything about this was fucked up. If I had known what was in store for me, I would've just declined Kisuke.

"Take this! Power of justice! Armor of justice! Justice headband! In place!" Ichigo recited the speech exactly as Kisuke told him to. Just as I expected, nothing happened.

"Oh man, he actually said it." Not to self. Never trust a word Kisuke says. Stopping to insult the old man, Ichigo was interrupted before he could say anything meaningful.

"Behind you! Behind you!" Ururu was running up on Ichigo.

"Oh man!" Putting on the headband for real, Ichigo got ready for a fight. "All right, come at me!" May you rest in peace dude. Hardly knew ya, but you at least managed to impress me by facing death head on. Well. Until he started running again that was. As he ran Ururu kept attacking. Each punch sent up clouds of dust.

Eventually Ichigo turned around again. Getting into a fighting stance, he braced himself. After dodging a straight sent by Ururu, he went on the offensive. The three others were just as impressed as I was. Ichigo was able to put Ururu on the defensive for quite awhile. That was until something happened. Faster yet, Ururu managed to get onto Ichigo's fist. Reeling back a kick, Ururu made Ichigo eat shit. He flew all the way back and crashed into a rock. This time for sure he had to be dead.

"Safe!" At first, I didn't understand what Kisuke was talking about. It wasn't until the dust settled that I was able to see it myself. Somehow Tessai had managed to get behind Ichigo and catch him. Just how fast were these people? They moved so fast that I couldn't even see them move.

"Again, please!" Did Ichigo have a fucking death wish or something? The guy was lucky enough to have survived that.

"Congratulations! Lesson One is cleared!" What? Was Lesson One to just not get killed or something?

"Huh? Why? I lost to her, didn't I?" Ichigo was just as confused as I was.

"Oh, I didn't say a thing about knocking out Ururu to clear Lesson One." Did you get hit on the head or something old man? You specifically said the lesson was over after one of them was immobile! "After all, she has the fighting skill to counter Shinigami. There's no way a human soul can beat her.

" _I'm start'in ta get a bad feel'in about this whole thing kid. Whatdya say we bale?_ " Trust me Danny. I'd love to. But… I can't go back on my word. It's the only thing I have. " _Ya know that shit's gonna get ya killed right? If ya wanna survive, ya gotta look out fer number one. Ya get me?_ " I'm a Yakuza now Danny. Death's gonna come to me one way or another. If I'm gonna die, I might as well face it head on. There's no use running fr-

"What the fuck!?" Interrupting my conversation with Danny, Tessai came in with an ax and cut Ichigo's chain.

"Go straight into Lesson Two!" Just what the hell did I miss while I was tuning them out!? After a bit of tussling, Tessai was sitting on top of Ichigo.

"I'm gonna die!" Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"Precisely. Once the Chain of Fate is broken, you can no longer return to your physical body. You'll just die." Kisuke explained the situation as if this was an everyday occurrence. Hell. Maybe it was for the freak.

"Quit talking like it doesn't matter!" Was Kisuke secretly a psychopath? For real. This guy seemed to get a sick sense of pleasure outta this, didn't he?

"Then, let me tell you something that does. The chain will begin the Encroachment at the point of severance. And when it reaches your chest, you will become a Hollow… and it will be the end." Jesus. Fucking. Christ. "If you don't want to become a Hollow, you must become a Shinigami!" Was there no other way to get his powers back!? Was this really the only option!? Surely there had to be a safer way! "Once you clear Lesson Two, you will regain the powers of a Shinigami! What you choose is your decision." The only comfort I had was that Kisuke did say that Ichigo's training would be tougher then mine. So my training shouldn't be anything like this.

"You already know that answer!" What decision were they talking about? Whether Ichigo lived as a human or a Shinigami?

"Okay! Then let's do it. Go!" Kisuke pointed his fan out and a giant hole appeared below Ichigo and Tessai. I'm not even going to try and think about how that was possible. Ichigo screamed as the two of them fell down. Kisuke said something but I was more focused on trying to see if they'd splat once they reached the bottom or not. It was such a deep hole that it was hard to tell. "Ichigo! Climb back up here in that condition! That is the lesson… also known as the Shattered Shaft." Shattered shaft. Heh.

"Idiot! You think I can do that?" From the looks of it, Ichigo had his arms bound. How the hell was he supposed to get back up here like that?

"I don't think you have time to wonder whether you can or can't." He was talking about that thing. I think he called it Encroachment. After a moment of silence, I could hear Ichigo scream. "At the bottom of the Shattered Shaft, you have 72 hours, or three days, before the chain is completely Encroached. You must come back as a Shinigami before the time is up. Otherwise, we'll have to kill… the Hollow that you will become." A cold chill climbed up my back. Ancient swords. Hollows. Crazy Shinigami… Just what the hell did I get myself involved with?

"You bastard! You're gonna kill me!?" This was some Yakuza level torture Kisuke was using. It was like if the Captain had tied someone from the Nariakira family up and forced them to escape from a locked room in three days. If they didn't, he'd kill them.

"Oh yes… when you give up." Snapping his fan shut, Kisuke looked over at me. "As for you, I'd say it's about time to start your training Ryuu." Ah shit… "Ururu. Jinta. Please keep an eye on Ichigo for me." Suddenly I felt really nervous. Which was saying something considering the shit I've been through. Oh well. There was no backing out now. I'd see this through to the end. Even if that meant my end…


	8. Training Day Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to change something... But I kinda forgot what it was. Maybe it'll hit me later or something. Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

Following Kisuke, he led the two of us away from the giant hole in the ground. My training was about to begin. Every cell in my being, and Danny, was telling me to just bail. After seeing how intense Ichigo's training had been, I wasn't looking forward to mine.

"Alright. This should be far enough." Turning to face me, Kisuke opened his stupid fan and hid his face. "Before we begin however, I'd like to confirm something. Bring out your weapon please." Holding out my left hand I summoned Danny. When he materialized I gripped onto the handle and unsheathed the ordinary looking katana. Kisuke put his fan away, walked over and held his hand out. From the looks of it, he wanted to inspect Danny. It's not like he'd be able to hear Danny, so what could go wrong? After handing him over, Kisuke looked over the sword.

" _Waddya think yer do'in kid!? Make this creep let me go!_ " Relax Danny. It'll only be a minute. " _A minute my ass! This guy's psycho! He might tear me apart ta find out how I work!_ " Dude. You're a sword. What's there to figure out?

"I see…" My blood went cold. He… didn't hear any of that. Did he? Kisuke held out Danny for me to grab. As I went to take him back, Kisuke chucked Danny behind him. For however far he flew, Danny screamed the entire way.

"Hey! What the fuck was that for!?" Even though Danny deserved it, he was still my sword. Bringing his fan back out I was tempted to smash the stupid thing.

"I just want to be certain of something. Why don't you indulge me and summon your weapon one more time." Rolling my eyes I did as he asked. Sending Danny back and then summoning him again, he re-appeared in my hand.

"There. Happy now?" This guy was beyond weird. Nothing he did made sense.

"Yes actually. Now if you don't mind…" Kisuke grabbed onto his cane. It turned out that his cane was merely a disguise. Unsheathing his blade, he pointed it at me. "There's one more thing I'd like to see…" I didn't like the sound of that. "We might as well turn this into a lesson while we're at it. Let's treat this as Lesson One. An endurance test. For as long as you can, try and avoid my attacks." Once he was done talking he lunged forward.

Bringing Danny up I blocked his attack. Grasping onto my sword with both hands I tried to push Kisuke off. It was obvious that his strength was greater than mine. For an old man, he sure was strong. Backing out of the power struggle, Kisuke chased right after me. With how aggressive he was being I doubt he was gonna let me get a hit off. If this was an endurance test, then he was probably going to stop when I got tired. For the time being though, I had to give it my all.

Each time Kisuke swung his sword I'd either dodge or do my best to parry. Only the attacks that were certain to hit me were the ones I bothered with. Kisuke already proved to be stronger than me, so it would only be a waste of energy otherwise. The few times our swords did clash, I could swear that my teeth rattled. He probably had the strength to slice me clean in half if he wanted.

Eventually, after hours of non-stop fighting, I started to get tired. Dodging any of his attacks was starting to get harder. Overtime I started to rely more on blocking rather than running. Any moment now Kisuke would call it. He had to see that I was running out of steam. But the longer it went on, the more I wondered just how far he was gonna push me.

It wasn't until the bastard stabbed me that I realized that he wasn't going to call it off. Dropping Danny, I fell. Luckily I was able to catch myself. Instead of falling onto my face I managed to land on one knee. Putting a hand over the spot I was stabbed I tried to stop the flow of crimson from leaving my body.

"You managed to avoid me for longer then I thought you would. Congratulations Ryuu. You've passed Lesson One." Asshole. Just what was the point in this? Grabbing onto my arm he lifted me up. Kisuke removed my hand that was covering my wound. "Would you look at that. Yoruichi was right." Looking down, I could see that my wound was gone. Pulling away from Kisuke I went over to Danny and picked him up. Sending Danny away I glared at Kisuke.

"If that's what you wanted to know about, you could've just asked me!" Kisuke didn't have to disguise it as some fucking lesson. I would've told him about my crazy healing if he just asked.

"But if I did that, I wouldn't be able to tell where your limits lay." Whatever. Maybe now my training could _actually_ begin. Instead of whatever the hell we were doing now. "With Lesson One out of the way, how about we get right into Lesson Two?" I just got done fighting for my life. No way would I be able to do something like that again. "Actually… Why don't we roll Lesson's Two and Three into one big lesson?" Great. Love the idea. "We'll fight for five minute intervals. Your mission is to get one hit off on me. Anywhere on my body and in any means necessary." Just one hit. Ha. That was too easy. "After the five minutes are up, I'll run off and hide. This is where the second half of the lesson comes in. You'll have to sense my Reiatsu in order to find me." A game of hide-and-seek eh?

"Sounds easy enough old man. You weren't lying when you said Ichigo's training would be harder than mine." For multiple reasons as well. At least I didn't have to go through what Ichigo was going through now. Rolling my shoulders I summoned Danny. Unsheathing him and getting into a stance I got ready to fight. Even if Kisuke got away once, I'd just stealth attack him after finding him. This was gonna be a piece of cake.

* * *

Sitting in the Patriarch's office was Captain Yasutake and Lieutenant's Ichirou, Yamaoka and Iori. All of them were called in by the Patriarch himself. On the table in the middle of all of them was the piece of paper with Theorc written on it. As of right now, it was their only clue as to who ordered the hit on Ryuu.

"So. This is our only lead." Stroking his beard, Patriarch Mitsuharu looked the paper over. "Nothing more?" It was just as frustrating for Oshiro as it must have been for everyone else. Due to the size of the Mitsuharu Family, Oshiro saw everyone that was a part of the Family as real family. An attack on one of them was like an attack on one of his sons. It didn't help that he held a soft spot for the Bishop brothers.

"I've gone through all my contacts. Not one of them seems to know just who our gunman was. The only thing that is known for certain is that he was a member of the Naizen Clan." Captain Yasutake was the first to speak up.

"Same for me Sir. No one knows anything." Just like Captain Yasutake, Yamaoka had come up empty handed. That meant the only thing they had to go on was a code name.

"This was the only thing Iori and I were able to gather Sir. Until Kozato is able to get a hold of his old friend, this is all we've got." Ichirou sat with his arms crossed. For now, all he could do was hope that this wouldn't be a bust. If only he could've nabbed the guy and given him the same treatment they gave Fujimura…

"Very well. Then I think that should do it for now. Ichirou. Iori. Let me know as soon as you meet with this friend of Kozato's. All of you are dismissed." Having heard enough, Oshiro ended the meeting. Everyone got up and exited Patriarch Mitsuharu's personal office. Lounging around the office proper was Kuwahara, Kozato and Igarashi. Seeing Igarashi still in the office building, Ichirou walked over to him.

"Yo, Iga. I thought you had a date today?" Looking up at Ichirou, Igarashi looked confused.

"I did?" Laughing, Ichirou slapped Igarashi on the shoulder.

"Yeah! You've been talk'in about it non-stop for almost the entire week!" Realization hit Igarashi. Now he remembered. He got some girls number at a bar after they hit it off.

"Oh yeah. That's right. Guess I sorta lost track of time. Heh." Scratching the back of his head he got up. "Guess I should get go'in then. I'll uh. See you guys later." Stepping outside of the office, Igarashi lit up a cigarette. He didn't smoke as much as Iori did, but he'd light one up every now and then. After what Ryuu had shown him however, he started to smoke more frequently.

Walking down the darkening streets of Karakura, Igarashi made sure to stay on his side of the river. While he made it sound like he was going on that date, Igarashi had no real plans of meeting with the girl. Even if they did go out, he knew he wouldn't be able to focus on the date. Lately all he could think of was what Ryuu had told him. That was a few days ago now. He couldn't help but worry about his friend. Was that trip Ryuu going on real? Or was it a ruse for something else?

The 'teacher' that had handed over the slip to Ryuu gave Igarashi a weird feeling. Something about him was… wrong. But Igarashi couldn't tell what. Was he… what did Ryuu call them? A Hollow? Was that slip a challenge to a fight in disguise? That couldn't be it. Stuff like that only happened in those comics Kozato read. Taking one last puff from his cigarette, Igarashi watched as the moon rose above Karakura. Flicking his cigarette butt to the ground he stomped it out. Wherever Ryuu was, and whatever he was doing, Igarashi could only hope he was safe.

* * *

"For fucks sake! Stay still!" I had been fighting Kisuke for what felt like years now! Of course we've taken small rest's now and then, but when we weren't resting we were fighting. Turns out hitting this guy once wasn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

"That was a close one Ryuu! But would you look at the time? You know the drill by now!" Even if I forced myself not to blink, I wasn't able to keep up with the guy. He moved so fast it was as if he teleported or something!

" _He's close this time! Right behind us, tha rock right there!_ " By now Danny knew what to do as well. Instead of waiting for me to ask him, he pointed out where Kisuke had gone himself. Running to where Danny told me I jumped over the rock. Plunging Danny down I tried to pierce Kisuke's skull. He parried my attack of course and sent me flying. Catching myself as I landed I looked over at the old man.

"That's the fastest yet! Good work Ryuu!" Gritting my teeth I rushed back in. Our swords clashed and sparks flew. By now I had gotten used to his hard hits. Kisuke pulled back and sent a slash strong enough to make me skid backwards. "I think it's about time we turned things up a notch. Don't you agree?" With a smug look on his face he pointed his sword at me. "Wake up! Benihime!" What happened next shocked me. The stupid cane sword of his turned into an actual sword! "Just know. If you can't hit me…" Moving faster than I could track Kisuke appeared behind me. "I _will_ kill you." He slashed at my back, drawing blood in the process. "We can forget the five minute rule as well. From here on out, it's all… or nothing." Turning around to fight him head on I started to panic. Knowing this creep, he was telling the truth when he said he'd kill me.

" _There's no way we can win this! It's like that strange Hollow all over again!_ " Can it Danny! I'm trying to focus! It's hard to fight with you screaming in my ear!

Having adjusted to his strength I didn't need to grip my weapon with both hands anymore. By now I was confident enough in my abilities to swing my weapon around with just one hand. This helped with my speed approach. All I needed to do was hit him once. Nothing more.

" _Behind you!_ " Got it! " _Now a_ _bove you, no no, to your right! Agh! I mean left!_ " I mean this in the worst way possible. Shut the fuck up!

Danny and I were still far from being considered good teammates. His panicky nature and loud mouth made it difficult to concentrate. He was really good at sensing stuff, but not much else.

" _Kid, I've got it! Remember when I gave you that boost!? When you were fight'in that weird Hollow!?_ " Make it fast Dan! " _I'll do that again! But this time, I won't go overboard! I'll give ya just enough to win!_ _And if that isn't enough, I'll keep crank'in it up until it is_ _!_ " Whatever, just make it snappy!

A wave of power washed over me. Unlike last time it didn't feel like a bolt of lightning struck me. It was more bearable this time around. My speed was noticeably faster, hopefully fast enough to be able to counter Kisuke finally.

As more power flowed into me I got faster and faster. Soon enough I was matching Kisuke blow for blow. Not only that, but I was able to see him move now as well. It didn't just look like he was teleporting around everywhere. During our next clash I grabbed onto Kisuke's wrist with my free hand. Whatever injury I got would just be healed anyways. I was able to make risky moves thanks to that. As fast as I could I sent out a slash. It seemed to do the trick as I saw him leak crimson. Laughing, Kisuke turned his sword back into it's cane form and sheathed it.

"Well done Ryuu! You've passed Lesson's Two and Three!" Fuck'in… finally. "I've gotta admit. I didn't see that coming. I guess I did say by any means necessary…" Panting, I sent Danny away. A smile crept onto my face. For awhile I thought I was going to die. "Why don't we check up on how Ichigo's doing, eh?" Nodding, I followed Kisuke over to the pit that Ichigo had been trying to escape. Because of my fight with… uh… _training_ session with Kisuke, I lost track of time. How long had it been?

Currently I was laying down on the ground with my hands behind my head. Ichigo was still stuck in that pit and I didn't think he'd be able to make it out. From the looks of things, Kisuke was probably gonna kill 'em. Or have me do it. Suddenly Ichigo started screaming. Shooting up I rushed over to look down at him. Something weird was going down…

"Hey, hey! This is bad! He's gonna become a Hollow!" Jinta made it sound like this wasn't their intention from the beginning… Who knows. Maybe it wasn't.

"I'm going into rescue mode." While I knew Ururu was strong, I didn't know what she could do to help here. It's not like she'd be able to stop his transformation by hitting him.

"Hold it." Ururu was surprised when Kisuke stopped her from going down. "Watch him carefully. Usually, when a Plus becomes a Hollow… the spiritual body first explodes, and then reforms." You taking notes Danny? "But in his case, the order is all mixed up. The body is still a Plus, while the mask is being created first. This is proof that he is resisting. There's still a possibility that he will become a Shinigami again. Let's just observe a little longer… And see if he truly becomes a Hollow. Just a little longer." Ichigo was resisting becoming a Hollow? Was that… even possible?

Looking back down in awe, I could hardly believe it. From what Danny told me I didn't think it was possible. That it was something that just… happened.

"We're at the limit, Boss!" From Tessai's tone, I could tell something bad happened. "I am switching to Suppression mode. Bakudō Number 99 Part 2: Bankin!" That… _really_ didn't sound good. Wait. Did people with higher energy levels become stronger Hollows? Don't tell me… They really didn't want this to happen!? "First Incantation: Bandage! Second Incantation: Hundred Dead Bolts!" This was insane! What the hell were they thinking!?

"Hey Tessai! If you do that, he'll die!" Jinta leaned more into the pit and yelled. Each time I thought I got used to things, everything just got more crazy.

"There is no other way! I can't hold him down any longer! I must destroy him before he becomes a Hollow!" If they were this worried about him becoming a Hollow, I didn't want to see what he'd be capable of as one. That one I fought in the forest was strong enough for me. "Final Incantation: Bankin Fatal Seal!" Above us a giant metal cube formed and then fell into the pit below. "This ends here!" After Tessai yelled that a giant explosion went off and sent me flying back. Something had shot out of the pit and started bouncing around. When it landed, it created a cloud of dust. Coughing as I stood up, I tried to get a look at what was going on.

"Hey! Is that you? Answer, Orange head! If you're alive, answer me!" Jinta walked towards the dust cloud. A silhouette could be seen inside the smoke. Red eyes pierced through the dust. My eyes shot open and I summoned Danny and prepared for a fight. Soon enough the dust settled. Ichigo was standing there with a Hollow mask on. Son of a bitch… "Shihakusho… and a mask? Is he a Hollow? Or a Shinigami?" Ichigo reached for the sword on his back. Tensing up, I think we were about to get our answer. He drew his sword only to reveal that it was broken. "Don't underestimate us! Come at us if you want! To my surprise, and relief, he used the pommel of his sword to smash his Hollow mask. Moving the mask away form his face Ichigo revealed that he was, in fact, still human. Er. Shinigami. "You didn't become a Hollow?" Taking a sigh of relief, I sent Danny away.

"Congratulations! You went and became a Shinigami again!" Again with that damn fan of his… "Well done! You've cleared Lesson Two!" Walking up to Kisuke Ichigo hit the old man in the face with the pommel of his broken sword.

"Shut up! Your number is up now that I came back alive! I swore, that when I got out of the hole alive, that I'd kill you!" Scoffing I crossed my arms. As much as I wanted to see that, I doubt Ichigo could do it in his current state. Hell. He didn't even have a proper weapon.

"Perfect timing. With that spirit, we'll go right into Lesson Three. Lesson Three has no time limit at all." No time limit? That bastard… "If you can use your Zanpakutō to knock off my hat, then the lesson will be complete." I couldn't tell if that was easier or harder than what I had to do… Slashing at Kisuke, I thought Ichigo missed at first. But then I saw the cut in Kisuke's stupid hat. "Not bad, considering your Zanpakutō is broken." This was going to be good.

"Of course! And I haven't really gotten serious yet! No time limit, huh? Forget that. Let's end this in five minutes." Hearing Ichigo say that I couldn't help but laugh. Poor, poor Ichigo. He had no idea as to just what he was getting himself into.

"Sounds good. Five minutes…" Revealing his secret, Kisuke drew his sword from his fake cane. "And we'll end this, huh?" Walking over to Jinta and Ururu I didn't want _anything_ with what was about to go down. When I reached them Jinta said something that made me turn around.

"Whoa! You're all right, Tessai. I mean, Mr. Tessai." To my surprise, Tessai crawled out of the pit. I kinda figured he'd died in the explosion.

"I'm not all right! My glasses are in terrible shape!" It was a miracle that his glasses didn't fall out of their frame. They were shattered to pieces.

"But you're okay, right? Oh well, keep those glasses on even if they're cracked. The Boss drew his sword, and it's getting very interesting. It would be a pity to miss this." I take it Kisuke didn't draw his sword a whole lot. Guess I should feel honored then. If anything.

To be honest I found their fight pretty comical. It was just like with Ururu. Ichigo was getting chased around. But instead of by a child, it was by an old man this time. Eventually he did turn around, but got slashed in the process. I don't know what his plan was there. After they did a bit of talking, Kisuke transformed his sword. After it transformed, Kisuke was actually able to cut through Ichigo's sword. Whittling it down to just a handle.

In a panic now Ichigo ran around some more. After a bit of more running, he stopped again. It looked like he was just staring off into space. That's when he got into a weird stance. Dust blew away from him.

"Zangetsu!" With a scream he unleashed a giant blue energy storm. Jumping for cover I didn't want to be caught up in whatever that was! When things calmed down I got out from behind my rock. Instead of a broken sword, Ichigo was now holding a brand new weapon. Could all Shinigami just transform their weapon like that? If so, you've gotta step up your game Danny.

"Well now… Now that you have your Zanpakutō, shall we start Lesson Three in earnest?" I think I was starting to understand how Kisuke did things. Which I wasn't sure that I liked that.

"Sorry, Mr. Urahara… Be sure to dodge it completely… I don't think… I have it mastered yet!" It looked like Ichigo was preparing some sort of gigantic attack.

"Wake up, Benihime!" Kisuke seemed to sense this as well. Not wanting to take any risks, I took cover once again. When it was over and I came back out, my eyes nearly jumped outta my skull.

"Holy shit!" That attack did more than just cut a rock in half! He split the whole damn ground! Danny. Remind me to never. Never. Pick a fight with Ichigo.

"Oh boy… My hat's torn, too." Just what sorta monsters were these people!? Kisuke was acting like he didn't just almost die! "But… I didn't think you'd do it in one swing… Ichigo. You are one dreadful child. Lesson Three has been cleared!" From the looks of it, the attack had spent Ichigo. He was passed out leaning against his sword. With our training complete, Kisuke had Tessai carry Ichigo upstairs to the shop while everyone followed him up.

"Hey, Kisuke, I was wondering something…" On the walk back to the ladder, Kisuke had explained how I'd have to wait seven days before I'd be needed. "I uh. Kinda already told the guys I'd be going on that trip. So if I went back now…" Basically I was asking him if I could spend the week here.

"What your telling me is that you need a place to stay, am I right?' I nodded. He hit the nail on the head. "Alright. But under one condition…" Oh great. "You help around the shop!" That's… not what I was expecting.

"Sure. I'll help out. It's only fair. So long as I don't have to go out into town for anything…" It wasn't really about the war going on, but about being seen by one of the guys. With my new-found powers, I wasn't scared of anyone from the Nariakira Family now. Our deal was arranged and a few hours later Ichigo had finally woke up. Kisuke caught him up and then sent him on his way.

"In seven days, at 1:00 AM, leave your window open and wait." And with that, Kisuke sent Ichigo off. Over the week I worked around the shop. My work mostly consisted of cleaning. Very rarely was I asked to do something else. It was almost like no one around here actually cleaned the damn place. Time flew by for the most part, and eventually the day came. Kisuke had me wait outside and someone other than Ichigo showed up.

"Chad?" That was surprising. What was he doing out at a time like this? He greeted me by giving me a nod.

"I didn't expect to see you here Ryuu." Guess that made two of us. Giving Kisuke a questioning look I went back to leaning against his shop. Kisuke noticed my look, but he responded by taking out that stupid fan of his. One of these days, I was gonna break that stupid thing… Not that much longer, Ichigo had arrived. Chad stood up from the box he sat on while waiting.

"Oh, Ichigo! Right on time! Good, good." Ichigo seemed to be surprised to see Chad here. That meant Ichigo wasn't expecting him to be here either. This was starting to get a bit silly.

"Chad… what are you doing here?" Taking out the lighter in my pocket I started to play with it. It wasn't mine, but one of Igarashi's. He gave it to me when it ran out.

"Rukia Kuchiki once saved me. I'm going, too." So Chad was a bit like me, eh? I'd have to remember that.

"Huh? What!?" Before Ichigo could continue, someone walked up behind Ichigo.

"What? You didn't hear?" That person was Uryū. Guess we weren't going up against an army alone. Good. At least I wasn't going to die alone. "I'm not letting those Shinigami have a win over me. I'm going, too." So Uryū had a dislike for Shinigami eh? Wonder what his problem was.

"Now we're all here." Then, Orihime walked out from a nearby alley. Jesus these people were like ants! Where the hell did they keep coming from! Looking forward to working with you! Oh! Ryuu! You're coming as well?" Still playing with the empty lighter I just gave her a thumbs up.

"Huh!? Hey! What's going on!?" So I take it Ichigo was planning on storming the… uh… Soul Society! By himself? Or at the very least just the two of us? What a dumbass.

"Pretty slow on the up-take, aren't you?" If this lighter wasn't mine, I would've chucked the damn thing. I was getting sick of people walking out of nowhere! Well to be fair, I did see Chad and Uryū coming. My point still stood though! "Kid, don't tell me you didn't notice the increase in the hidden powers of these three." Now that Yoruichi mentioned it… Danny did say something about two strange energy's appearing. Guess it was Orihime and Chad. "While you were training to regain your Shinigami power, these three were also training in their own way. Instead of criticizing, bow your head and thank them." Gee guys. Thanks for being extra bodies to the slaughter. There. Easy as pie.

"A… A talking cat!" What was Ichigo freaking out about? Surely a talking cat couldn't be worse than Hollows or spirits. While the group argued over Yoruichi I kept playing with my lighter. My patience was starting to thin.

"Can we just get a move on already!? It's a talking cat, so the fuck what!?" Slamming the lighter closed I stuffed it back in my pocket. Clapping his hands Kisuke walked forward.

"Yes, yes… Let's end it there. We can't keep talking outside. Please come in. While Orihime and Ichigo lagged behind the rest of us made our way inside and down into the training grounds. Once we were down in the training grounds I remembered the hell we were put through down here.

"W-Wow! All this space beneath the shop! This is so neat… it's like a secret base!" You know what? Kisuke hit me as the type of person to have a secret science lab of some kind. The guy was a freak like that.

"All right, your attention please! Here we go!" Kisuke motioned over to some empty space. Then, with a snap of his fingers, some sort of gate thing appeared. "This is the gate that leads to the Soul Society. It's known as the Senkaimon, which is written, 'Tunnel World Gate.' Now listen very carefully. Before that…" Moving faster than I could blink, Kisuke appeared behind Ichigo and jabbed him with his cane. Separating Ichigo's body from his soul in the process. Orihime seemed… impressed? About the whole thing. She was easily amused, huh? "Let's continue. This gate has a layer of Reishi Henkan-Ki, Spirit-particle Conversion Machine on top of a normal Senkaimon." That was a lot to take in. Good thing I had an ancient sword to remember for me…

"Spirit-particle… Conversion Machine?" Good to know I wasn't the only one confused.

"As you already know, the Soul Society is a world of spirits. It is impossible to enter that world unless you have the form of a spirit. However, only Ichigo, as a Shinigami, can cross through. So we will use the Henkan-Ki to convert you into spirits." I'm not so sure I like the sound of that.

"In other words… We'll be able to pass without extracting our spirits, by going through this gate." Whoa whoa whoa. Wait. We're turning into spirits, without dying? Or…

"Correct. You will be able to enter the Soul Society like that." Walking over to the gate Ichigo seemed ready to go. Stopping him mid stride, Kisuke jabbed him in the side with his cane. "However! The time limit that we have to open the gate and connect it to the Soul Society is… four minutes." Four minutes? Was that good? Or no?

"I-Is that enough time!?" Ichigo had the same thought as me. Great minds think alike, eh?

"Normally, it would be impossible." Ah. Wonderful. Great. "It's a reckless idea to start with. I'll do my very best to hold it for four minutes." So it's not even a guarantee that he can hold the gate open for four minutes. "If you can't cross over in that time… you will be trapped forever between the Soul Society and this world." That's something I couldn't let happen. No matter what, we'd make it through in time.

"W-What should we do?" Orihime seemed scared. Rightfully so. Getting trapped between dimensions was a scary thought.

"Just go forward." That's when Yoruichi spoke up. "I told you that the heart and soul are connected." Heart and soul… "The important thing is what you feel in your heart and the will to move forward. I will be your guide. Go forward… Only those who can do that can follow me." What you feel in your heart… The will to move forward…

"Are you babbling in your sleep or what? That's why we're here!" I'd say something snarky, but… In a way, he was right.

"You understand, kid, that if you fail, you cannot return." Failure isn't an option for me. Judging by Ichigo's resolve, I figured it wasn't for him either.

"So I just have to win, right?" Heh. Maybe Ichigo wasn't so bad after all…

"Exactly." That type of resolve was something to admire.

"Are you ready? Run in the instant it opens." Not backing down, even though the odds were against us.

"Right!" Maybe… Just maybe… We could actually do this.

"Let's do it!" You ready Danny? This is gonna be one hell'ava party!


	9. Warm Welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I might take a break from this fic after this chapter. I'll be coming back to it though. So until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

Currently, all of us were running for our lives. The walls were closing in behind us. Chasing us down the dark corridor. All the way at the end of the hall was the only light. Our only way out. Everyone else was complaining, but I was doing my best to tune them out. However, there was a commotion that I couldn't ignore. Looking back, I could see that Uryū was caught by his stupid cape.

"The fool! It's that crazy get-up he has on!" Ichigo went for his sword and it looked like he was going to cut at what was holding Uryū back.

"Hold it! Do not use your Zanpakutō. The current entangles the spiritual body. If you use your Zanpakutō, you will get caught too." Damn it! We couldn't just sit here and do nothing! Before I could summon Danny to cut off Uryū's stupid cape, Chad beat me to the punch. Grabbing onto Uryū, Chad ripped Uryū free.

"T-Thank- Huh!?" Before Uryū could properly thank Chad, the giant picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. With the crisis averted, we started running again. "Put me down, Chad! I can run on my own!" Heh. Not in a uniform like that he couldn't. Eventually Uryū calmed down and stopped his fussing. "Hey, guys. Something's… Something's coming our way!" Oh. So that's why he shut up. Turning around to look at what he was talking about, I wished I hadn't. "What is that!?" Now we were getting chased by an oversized train!

"It's the Kōtotsu! It appears once every seven days! And this had to be the day!" Son of a bitch! When we got back, I was gonna beat the shit outta Kisuke! Why didn't he warn us about this thing!? "Anyways, just run! It's incredibly fast!" Turning back around I focused on running. The light ahead of us got closer and closer.

"It's no good! We can't outrun it!" I wish Uryū would just shut up! The exit was right there! Just a little more… Then, Orihime turned around.

"Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Santen Kesshun! I reject!" Orihime's hairpins seemed to come alive! Three of them shot out and formed an orange shield of some kind. When the Kōtotsu collided with the shield it set off an explosion. The force was strong enough to send us shooting out the rest of the way. When we landed, I could feel my arm break. Damn that hurt!

Grabbing onto my arm, I did my best to sit up. Everyone else seemed to be in various states of discomfort. Though at the very least, they didn't seem to break anything. Orihime on the other hand… She seemed to be just fine. In fact, she was even pestering Ichigo. Looking over at Uryū I watched in shock as he pulled out a second cape. What was that guys problem?

"I'm so glad… No one seems to be hurt." Speak for yourself… Standing up the rest of the way I rolled my shoulder. Good. It looked like my healing even extended to broken bones. Noth'in could keep me down!

"What's there to be glad about!?" Launching himself at Orihime, Yoruichi headbutted the poor girl. Right in the eye as well. Critical hit! "Were you not listening to me!? We're lucky the Restrictive Current made contact with just the shield area. If it had been the Shun Shun Rikka themselves, you'd be dead now!" Talk about acting on instinct. Though to be fair, Orihime had no idea that that would happen.

"So what? Don't be so hard on her. As it turned out, thanks to Orihime, we got through without a scratch." Again… Speak for yourself dude…

"You do not understand how serious this is." Putting my hands in my pockets I took a look around. It almost looked like we had gone back in time. All the buildings looked old timey.

"I-Is this the Soul Society?" I dunno Ichigo. I mean… It's not like Kisuke would… Never mind. I could totally see the old man fucking up and sending us somewhere else.

"Yes. This place is known as the Rukon District, the Drifting Spirit Town. This is where souls first live upon coming to the Soul Society." Where souls first go, huh? If that's the case… Then… "It's the poorest area within the Soul Society, but also the area with the most freedom. It also has the largest population of souls in the Soul Society." With so many people, I guess that would make finding someone difficult.

"What's that? It looks so different on that side." Looking over to where Ichigo was talking about, I could see that he was right. While everything over here looked beat up and run down, everything over there looked brand new. Yoruichi was going to say something, but Ichigo interrupted him. "I got it! That's where the Shinigami live… the whatever-town… right? All right!" Ichigo started running off once he made that revelation.

"Y-You fool! Don't get too close! You'll die!" Yoruichi tried to warn Ichigo, but it was no use. Stopping him in his tracks, a giant wall fell from the sky. When it landed I had to throw my arm up to block my face from the debris that flew. When the dust settled, I saw that a giant was staring Ichigo down. The giant drew his weapon and smashed it on the ground. Throwing more dust around in the process.

"Who is he!? He's too big to be a human! Just what is he?" If Uryū didn't know, like hell I'd have the answers. The guy was like the smartest kid in the entire school.

"His name is Jidanbō. He was chosen from among the best in the Soul Society to guard the Hakutōmon Gate, one of the four gates of the Seireimon." So the guy was some sorta Elite then? Just great. What a way to start our mission.

"Guard? Which means we have to beat him to get inside?" No shit. What were you expecting Uryū? That we'd just ask nicely and he'd let us in? Maybe Uryū wasn't as smart as I thought he was…

"Yes. But that won't be an easy task… In the 300 years that he's been on duty, no one has been able to break through the Hakutōmon Gate. He is legendary for his power and strength." No one until now that was. Even if it took all of us, we'd get through.

"So how do we fight someone like him?" A legendary Elite that hasn't been beat in 300 years… No matter how legendary you are, you'll always have some sorta weakness. Even if you hid it deep down, it was still there.

"That's where your intelligence comes in. First, a meeting is in order to come up with a strategy. Hey Ichigo…" Completely ignoring Yoruichi, Chad and Orihime ran off towards Ichigo. "Hey! Chad! Orihime! Come back! Come back, both of you!" Sighing, I rubbed the back of my head. Those idiots were gonna get themselves killed. Jidanbō saw the two of them running towards him and brought his ax down. With it, he created a giant stone wall. Cutting them off from helping Ichigo. That's when Uryū ran up as well. Seriously?

"Ironic isn't it?" Looking down at Yoruichi, I found the current situation a little funny. "The only one who listened to you was a Yakuza." Letting out a yawn I stretched. "Guess there's no complaining about it now though. Why don't we join everyone?" Yoruichi looked back up at me. Reaching down, I picked him up. Putting him on my shoulders I walked the two of us over to everyone else. Seeing that the fight was starting, I picked up the pace.

"What!? Just what are you?" That was rich, coming from the giant that towered over everyone.

"Isn't it bad manners to attack before your opponent is ready?" It was safe to assume that Ichigo either blocked or dodged the attack. If this guy really was so strong, I'd say he dodged it. After a moment, Jidanbō started laughing. Was it because of what Ichigo said? Or did he just remember a funny joke?

"You're good! Nice! It's been decades since someone stopped my thrust." Wait. Stopped? So Ichigo _did_ block that monsters attack? "All right! This is great. Today, I get to give it my all. Among those who've tried to pass through here, there have been only three, including you, who were able to stop my first thrust. However… not one has been able to stop… my second thrust!" This… wasn't good! "Hmm… Good, you're still standing. I'm gonna keep coming! Take this! Juppon Jidanda Matsuri" Jidanbō started to count as he tried to hit Ichigo. Near the end, he messed up his count. "Now it's almost time for the end!" His final attack sent large chunks of the wall he made flying. All of us had to dodge them to avoid getting splattered. "W-What!?" The dust settled, and we were able to see that Ichigo was still fine. "W-Why!? Why are you… still standing!?" The bastard didn't die easy. That was for sure.

"He's standing! Kurosaki is still standing!" Because I saw what Ichigo was capable of in Kisuke's training grounds, I wasn't all that worried. He basically told Hollowification to go fuck itself. Sooo…

"Are you done? Cuz' it's my turn." Without fear, Ichigo faced down the Elite guard. Things were about to get interesting.

"Not yet! Not yet! I'm not… finished yet!" Jidanbō reached into his clothes and pulled out a second ax. His face went red and his muscles bulged. So much so that his arm plate shattered. "Try this! My final lethal attack! Banzai Jidanda Matsuri!" After raising both his weapons up high, he brought them both down. In one quick strike, Ichigo destroyed both of Jidanbō's ax's. Orihime had to bring out her shield in order to protect all of us from the blast.

"Kurosaki… What did he just do!? That giant… went flying!" Jidanbō was lucky that that's all Ichigo did. If he had used that one attack, there'd be nothing left of him. Getting back up, Jidanbō didn't seem to realize that his weapons were gone.

"Hah! Man, that was close! I slipped and fell on my butt!" Now he was making excuses. Was he stupid? Or just too prideful to admit he was defeated? "Huh? What's that look? I bet you think I went flying. Hah! What are you thinking? I can't be blown away, it's never gonna happen. That's why country bumpkins are such a pain." Was it a mix of both? He could be stupid _and_ prideful. That was a dangerous mix… "Just wait, I'll use my ax's again and… My ax's?" It looked like he finally noticed. I guess it really was just stupidity.

"Hmm… Jidanbō's ax's were destroyed in one blow." Jumping off my shoulder, Yoruichi went in closer for a better look.

"What!? Those giant ax's!?" Sounds like Uryū was in disbelief. Was he jealous? He did hate the Shinigami. Either way, Uryū should just be thankful that Ichigo was on our side. I knew I was. Suddenly, Jidanbō started to throw a tantrum. He slammed his broken ax's on the ground and cried.

"Uh… hey… I'm sorry about this. For breaking your ax's… I didn't have to break both of them, I know… That was mean of me…" Was Ichigo… Seriously apologizing? This guy was our enemy! If he didn't break the guys weapons, the giant would've kept swinging them around!

"Y-You're… a good guy. You and I are enemies, but you're concerned about me, a loser…" Oh god… I couldn't stand this shit. Pulling out my lighter I went over to some of the debris and sat down. Flipping the empty lighter open and close I watched as everything played out.

" _What a weirdo, eh?_ " You can say that again. I wonder if all Shinigami were as weird as this guy. " _Nah. If they were, how'd anything get done?_ " I guess you're right… On this at least. " _Whadd'er ya talk'in about! I'm always right!_ " Yeah… Right… Mr. We're Gonna Die… " _I_ _resent that_ _._ " Whatever. It looks like the giant baby's gonna open the gate already. Time to move.

Walking over to the rest of the group, I watched as Jidanbō opened the gate. Fuck'in finally. When he got it open enough to peek in, Jidanbō seemed to freeze on the spot. Ichigo seemed to be the only other one that noticed.

"What's the matter? Why are you standing there like that? Did something happen?" Wanting to know what was wrong, I ran up to his side as well. Standing in front of us was another person. Er, Shinigami. "Who's that!?" Summoning Danny, I got ready for a fight.

"The Captain of Squad 3… Gin Ichimaru." A Captain? Already? Son of a bitch… Shouldn't he be doing something more important? What was he doing all the way out here!?

"Oh, this will not do." At first I couldn't tell what happened. Jidanbō dropped the gate a little and his left arm started to bleed. Then it hit me. That Gin guy must've cut him… It seemed impossible, considering he didn't even move from his spot, but it was the only possible explanation… Not wanting to get stuck outside, or get crushed, I stepped forward. Even though I didn't want to… "This is unacceptable. A guardian of the gate isn't supposed to open the gates." This guy looked like he was enjoying himself.

"Ugh… I lost! Opening the gate is what is expected of a gatekeeper who has lost!" Even with his injured arm, Jidanbō was still holding the gate open for us.

"What are you saying?" Gin started to walk closer. Tensing up, I could feel a fight coming. "A gatekeeper who loses isn't opening any gates. When a gatekeeper loses… it means… death." Gin put on a creepy grin. It was official. I hated this guy. Ichigo ran forward and clashed bladed with Gin. The clash didn't last long as the two pushed off of each other.

"What the hell are you doing!? Don't try to butt in, you fox face!" Personally I would have gone with snake. But to each their own… "Anyone who attacks an unarmed guy… will be killed by me!" That was a bold statement. Was Ichigo really gonna go up against a Captain? If he was, I'd have no choice but to jump in. This Elite guy was one thing, but a Captain had to be something else.

"Oh! You're a funny kid. You're not scared of me?" Deep down I was personally terrified. The Captains I knew back home, Shintani and Amisaki, weren't to be messed with. I couldn't imagine what a Shinigami Captain was capable of.

"Stop it Ichigo! We have to retreat for now!" At least Yoruichi was trying to talk him down. Though he wasn't having any of it.

"So you're Ichigo Kurosaki?" Gin knew Ichigo? How the hell…

"You know about me?" Just what the hell was going on?

"Oh, just as I thought." Turning around, he walked away. That was odd… Did that mean he was going to help us? "All the more reason why I can't let you pass." Nope. Shit. Pulling out what looked like a Tantō, Gin pointed it out.

"Why are you standing so far back? Are you going to throw your Wakizashi?" Aways forget those things exist. Then again, most I see is the Tantō.

"It's not a Wakizashi. This is my Zanpakutō, you see…" Quickly getting into a stance, the guy seemed to be building energy up. This wasn't good! Unsheathing Danny I got into a defensive stance. At the same time Danny was pumping power into me as well. "Shoot him dead, Shinsō!" Gin's Zanpakutō began to shoot forward. Ichigo managed to block the attack but he was knocked back into Jidanbō. The two of them went shooting back out past the gate. Without Jidanbō to hold the gate up, it began to crash back down. Leaving me alone with the maniac.

" _Kid. Run!_ " For once, I actually agree with you on how to handle something like this! " _Go'in up against someone like that is ask'in to get killed!_ " Yup! Got it! Let's book it!

Not wanting to stick around I ran off. With Danny's boost to my speed I was able to leave before I got caught up in a fight I could avoid. Ichigo had stood his ground just fine against Jidanbō, how the hell did he lose against that? It was just as I thought then, the Captains must be on a completely different level! Worse than that, I was alone now… The others were stuck outside. I was the only one in the Seireitei. If I wanted to stay alive, I'd have to keep my head down. At least until the others found their way inside. Hope you've got a plan Yoruichi, my life is in your paws.


End file.
